Jasmine Paolini is a Masters 1000-event winner once again, but this one will feel more special than most.
After all, the Italian is a champion in Rome, beating Coco Gauff in straight sets to claim the crown.
It was an inspired performance in front of her home crowd, who backed her with unrelenting levels of fire and flair that have even seen some players criticise the Italian Open crowd.
But she was good value for the win; one that will feel even more special knowing all the records she has shattered in lifting the trophy.
Jasmine Paolini matches Serena Williams’ record
One particular achievement that the 29-year-old has now matched has seen her come alongside tennis royalty, as in winning the Italian Open, Paolini has done something that only Serena Williams had managed previously.
Relayed by OptaAce, they write: ‘Jasmine Paolini is the second player in the Open Era to win the Women’s Singles title at the Italian Open after having turned 29, after Serena Williams (2013, 2014 and 2016). Extraordinary.’
Extraordinary is certainly one word that comes to mind when seeking to describe her performance today, and now going into Roland Garros, Paolini will feel confident that this might be the year where she goes one step further than she did the year before.
Jasmine Paolini beat Coco Gauff to win the Italian Open
Whilst Paolini was impressive, it must be said that Gauff really struggled to deal with the occasion.
There had been worries about her serve and forehand which had persisted all week, yet despite these blatant flaws the 21-year-old continued to grind out wins.
Even in the semi-finals against Qinwen Zheng, where the 2023 US Open hit a frustrating 82 unforced errors, she dug deep to cement her spot in the final.
Eventually, though, these unrelenting errors were bound to prove fatal.
In the last set, which Paolini won 6-2, Gauff only held serve once.
She will be back, of course, because that is the kind of player she is. With just over a week before the French Open, there’s certainly time to work on the issues that have plagued her.
But today is all about Paolini, who deserves all the credit in the world for taking the pressure of her home nation on her back and delivering the title. Over to Jannik Sinner to see if he can make it an Italian singles double in Rome.
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