Like a plethora of players, Jasmine Paolini discovered a newfound love for grass. The change was drastic, to say the least. The player who had never crossed round 1, found herself competing for the ultimate glory. Who was the figure behind her gargantuan improvement? Her coach, Renzo Furlan, is the reason she saw herself mowing down opponents on grass, as he shared the three simplest words for her. 

After a final run at the French Open, Paolini was determined to go beyond in the grass slam. “It’s amazing to be here, and it is a dream,” World No. 7 told the reporters after taking down Donna Vekic in the semifinals. However, the dream seemed too far-fetched for the Italian No. 1 at the time. With her dynamic and aggressive style, Paolini wanted to rise above her opponents on any surface except grass. As a result, the lush green courts of Wimbledon didn’t entice her, as she herself admitted at the Eastbourne International. 

‘This surface, it’s not easy to play on; it’s not easy to move on. It’s a little bit different tennis,” Paolini told Express. But worry not, Furlan turned her mind upside-down in a jiffy. The former World No. 19 found a growing faith in grass. The 28-year-old quoted her coach’s valuable words as she said, “But, as my coach said to me, it’s still tennis’,” immediately making a lightbulb go off in her head. 

Furlan never had doubts about Paolini’s talent. “From the first days with her, her potential—both technical and aptitude wise—had been clear to me. I’m not surprised at her current ranking.” On the other hand, Paolini, grounded and humble as ever, knows how to utilize the advice of her coach. “He says he was like me, but also that sometimes you have to just go and enjoy, not to think about whether you practice well or eat well.”

Go and enjoy she did as she pushed Barbora Krejcikova to her limits. Although Paolini lost the final, she forced the clash to three sets, even defending two championship points. Krejcikova scrapped victory against the Italian 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. The newfound love for grass could not help her rise above her opponent. However, there is always next year. 

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Unlike Paolini, Furlan never managed to cross rank 19, but he was able to guide the player to fantabulous height. Speaking about whether she was happy at going beyond her coach, she said, “I never said that but I was thinking, ‘Come on, I have to do better (smiles).’ And he was so happy that I managed to be better than him in the rankings.” 

The semifinalist of Eastbourne International, Paolini, is playing her best tennis season this year in doubles (Italian Open doubles winner and French Open doubles finalist) as well as singles. Although victory was not in her fate, she managed to create a record, stepping up to the level of the legendary Williams sister. 

Jasmine Paolini’s “crazy” reaction to her record-breaking statistics

Before this year, Jasmine Paolini had no record of going past the second round of any Grand Slam. Fast-forward to the present and now she is the first Italian female player to reach the Roland Garros and Wimbledon final match in a single year, just like the tennis legend, Serena Williams (2016). Quite unbelievable, right? She thought so, too!

When asked if she herself would have thought it was possible, Paolini said, “I would say, yes… I don’t have words. Just, yeah, you are crazy.” Sharing her excitement after the match, Jasmine Paolini further stated, “These last months have been crazy for me. I am trying to focus on what I have to do on the court and I love playing tennis.”

The defeat to Krejcikova was likely shattering for the Italian, but like every other player, she will wipe the dust off of herself soon and, look ahead to the Olympics, and rectify her finals defeat at Roland Garros. While Jasmine Paolini continues to soar through new heights, her coach’s advice will remain a constant reminder for her to achieve more success in tennis!