JASMINE PAOLINI is the rising star that has charmed everyone at Wimbledon this fortnight.
The Italian, 28, had never won a match at the All England Club prior to this year, but now stands one match from glory following a blistering run to the final.
Paolini, who stands at a diminutive 5ft 4in, blends sneaky power with intoxicating variety to bamboozle opponents.
But where has she been?
Hailing from Tuscany, Italy – Paolini turned pro all the way back in 2011, but has experienced a slow rise to the very upper echelons of the women’s game.
She only made her Wimbledon main draw debut in 2021, having previously lost three times in qualifying.
Paolini came into this year’s Championships riding a wave of confidence, having reached the Roland Garros final in Paris last month.
“Two Grand Slam finals in a row was crazy to believe,” Paolini admitted after her gruelling semi-final victory over Donna Vekic on Thursday.
“I’m also surprised at how I’m living this!”
Going into this season Paolini sat at No30 in the world having won a single career title – a WTA 250 event in Slovenia back in 2021.
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But whatever the script for her career had previously been, she has rewritten it in style in what’s been a breathtaking calendar year thus far.
Paolini won her first Masters 1000 title in Dubai this February, beating Anna Kalinskaya in the final.
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After a series of steady results in the wake of her Middle East success, she reached the French Open final, falling to Iga Swiatek but making fans and fellow players sit up and take notice in the process.
Alongside her impressive singles results, Paolini has continued regularly playing alongside veteran compatriot Sara Errani.
Asked about her doubles partner, who she will team up with at the Paris Olympics, and other Italian legends including Flavia Pennetta, Roberta Vinci and Francesca Schiavone – Paolini was polite, but insisted that she is writing her own story.
She said: “They are inspiring me so much. But I don’t want to compare too much because I’m writing my own story, my own career.
“But I remember the Grand Slam finals that they made. I think it’s really important for the next generation having people that can do great things. They can show you that it’s possible. That’s really important I think.
“Of course, I’m grateful to them.”
Paolini, with her wide smile and infectious personality, is set to have the bulk of the Centre Court support this Saturday.
A factor in her rise has been her tendency to relish bigger stages, and there is no grander setting in the sport than the one she will walk into on Saturday.
“I have always been like that. I’m really enjoying playing in the big stadium,” she admitted after beating Vekic.
“I feel grateful to the crowd that is watching me. Yeah, I’m just enjoying it.
“I love to play in these kind of courts. It feels more special. Also to play important matches, it’s so special.
“I’m so grateful that also the crowd was cheering for me. It’s a great feeling for a tennis player.”
Should she beat Krejcikova on Saturday, Paolini will achieve a childhood dream.
She will also pocket a cool £2.7m in prize money, more than double what she had earned in her entire career prior to this year.
Thus far the pressure of the situation has not gotten to Paolini, who appears to be taking it all in her stride.
On Friday morning she grinned as she posed for a picture with singer Pink, while she excitedly shared a picture of Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport’s front page, which features a big picture of her.
Ahead of Saturday’s final, Paolini admitted: “I will be so nervous. But I feel also relaxed. I’m the same person. I’m doing the same things. I’m surprised a little bit how I’m managing this.
“I don’t want to say more because maybe Saturday I’m going to be shaking! But I’m surprising myself to live this with really relaxing mood.”
Paolini already appears to be a shoo-in to win this year’s WTA Most Improved Player award, which was won last year by China’s Zheng Qinwen.
And if she wins on Saturday, perhaps she’ll even make a compelling case for the outright Player of the Year gong too.
PRIZE MONEY for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships is a new record – and puts the grass-court Slam at the top of the tree.
The All England Club will dish out £50million across all the events – an increase of £5.3m and 11.9 per cent on last year, where singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova picked up £2.35m each.
However, the king and queen of grass this July will collect an extra £350,000 – taking the winner’s earnings to £2.7m.
Here is the breakdown for the 2024 Wimbledon singles prize money:
