Jasmine Paolini is fast becoming an Italian tennis legend.
The Italian star was instrumental in Italy’s Billie Jean King Cup triumph in September, an achievement for which she was congratulated by Ons Jabeur and Katie Boulter.
The 29-year-old is yet to win a Grand Slam title, but will surely be a threat to the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova at major events in 2026.
Paolini has historically struggled against the Belarusian and American: she has lost her two contests against Anisimova and has failed to defeat Sabalenka once in their last five meetings.
However, could Paolini’s fortunes change in 2026?
Danilo Pizzorno says Jasmine Paolini has been working on rhythm variations to combat Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova
Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova are quite possibly the most powerful strikers of a tennis ball on the WTA Tour.
Therefore, if any other player is to match the velocity of their groundstrokes, they may need to disturb the rhythm using shots that slow the pace.
Danilo Pizzorno, the new coach of Jasmine Paolini, has revealed how the Italian will be looking to neutralise the threats posed by Sabalenka and Anisimova in 2026.
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Speaking to Ubi Tennis, Pizzorno said: “In these weeks of work, we’ve focused on her serve, return, and rhythm variations, a tool that could be very useful against players with very heavy balls like Sabalenka and Anisimova.
“It will be crucial to always keep her focused on motivation and improvement.”
Pizzorno, who has previously worked with top 20 WTA star Liudmila Samsonova, will work with Paolini alongside doubles star Sara Errani in 2026.
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Pizzorno, who is an expert in video analysis, has worked with a number of high-profile Italian players – including Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Sonego and Martina Trevisan.
“I’ve been following her for almost two and a half years, and we’ve made significant progress with her serve, but there’s still a lot of work to do,” Pizzorno told Super Tennis in 2022.
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“We’ve also worked on her forehand, on how to maintain the angle when she’s coming in, and on how to play off serve, getting organized to hit the third ball.
“Jasmine doesn’t hit a hard serve, but that’s why she needs to be particularly precise on her serve, so she can then go into the rally.”
Whether Paolini’s partnership with Pizzorno can aid her quest for Grand Slam glory remains to be seen.
The Italian reached the final of two Grand Slam events – the French Open and Wimbledon – in 2024.
In 2025, the Italian star underperformed at the major events.
Paolini’s best performance at a Slam this year occurred at the French Open, when she reached the fourth round. In Melbourne and New York, she fell in the third round, and in London she was defeated in the second round.
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