A month after reaching a historic final in Paris at Roland Garros 2024, Jasmine Paolini continues to make history at Wimbledon 2024. The 28-year-old Italian—currently seventh in the WTA world rankings—reached the final on Thursday, July 11, after her match against Croatia’s Vekić. It was a dramatic comeback victory that came in the last set (2-6, 6-4, 7-6). There were many moments when everything seemed to be over, but Paolini never gave up.
Of her mom and dad, she said after the victory, “They have always supported me. I will always thank them.”
But first, let’s discuss that historic semifinal qualification
Jasmine Paolini had already made history on July 9 by beating American Emma Navarro in just two sets (6-2 and 6-1) in under an hour.
It was a monumental match and a historic victory. No Italian before her has ever reached the semifinals in the Wimbledon tournament, and only five have gone as far as the quarters: Lucia Valerio in 1933, Laura Golarsa in 1989, Silvia Farina in 2003, Francesca Schiavone in 2009, and Camila Giorgi in 2018.
“Outstanding to win a match on this court, I’m so happy I don’t know what to say,” she said in an interview after the match. “It’s a dream to go to the semifinals. When I was a child I used to see such important matches from home, and now it’s really strange to get there.”
And her quarterfinal victory over Madison Keys
On July 7, U.S. player Madison Keys was forced to retire in the third set against Paolini due to an injury. Even so, the match fully demonstrated the splendid form and feverish grit of Paolini who, as she does in every game she plays, gave some true champion shots. To all of Keys’ moves, she responded with a competitive eagerness that, combined with her excellent technique, always shows how willing she is to push beyond her limits.
