From a quiet spark to a Roman fire, Paolini has come a long way Premium

Jasmine Paolini, a rising star in tennis, excels in both singles and doubles, embodying Italian tennis's growing strength.

Watching Jasmine Paolini compete on a tennis court is like watching a child at play. All of 5’4”, she is a bundle of joy; she glides across the surface as if she has rollerskates on, caresses the ball more than hitting it and breaks into an innocent smile — often in disbelief — whenever she comes up with an astonishing shot.

But unlike a child at play, Paolini doesn’t mind being observed and there is no fear of being judged. The 29-year-old Italian goes about her business like a seasoned artist in a theatre, bouncing off the audience’s energy and boisterousness but not letting either drag her down.

The last weekend (May 17 and 18) was the acme of this. Playing in front of a rapturous home crowd in Rome, she played one of the best matches of her career to beat American Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 to win the Italian Open WTA 1000 singles title and become the first from her country in 40 years to triumph (Raffaella Reggi, 1985).

Barely 24 hours later, Paolini combined with compatriot Sara Errani — the 2012 French Open singles finalist — to clinch the doubles crown too. She is only the sixth player in the Open Era to win both singles and doubles at the Italian Open, and the first since nine-time Major winner Monica Seles in 1990.

“It’s special to win here in Rome, and pure joy to have this trophy,” Paolini said after winning the singles, which pushed her up to World No. 4 to equal her career-best ranking.

“I used to come to watch this tournament with my father, and today he was there [in the stands]. I don’t know if he was crying. May be...”

Anyone who has followed tennis closely in the last year and a half will know that Paolini’s twin feats at home weren’t mere flashes in the pan. She may be a late bloomer as she is on the wrong side of the 20s, but she has been a beacon of consistency in a women’s game which has often been marked by great flux.