LONDON – If a powerful smile could determine Grand Slam titles, Italian Jasmine Paolini would undoubtedly secure one before retiring. The 28-year-old from Tuscany charmed Wimbledon’s Centre Court crowd during Saturday’s women’s final, just as she did throughout an unforgettable fortnight.
However, despite her best efforts and a remarkable comeback, Paolini fell short of becoming Italy’s first Wimbledon singles champion, losing 6-2 2-6 6-4 to Barbora Krejcikova, also 28.
Depending on her outlook, and she seems to be an optimist, her achievements in recent months can be seen positively, despite losing in the final of two consecutive Grand Slams. By defeating Croatia’s Donna Vekic on Thursday, Paolini became the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon singles final and joined an elite group of women who have contested title matches at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season.
This elite group includes Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, and Evonne Goolagong. Venus Williams lost both finals in 2002, while Justine Henin and Hana Mandlikova won the French Open but fell short at Wimbledon.
Considering Paolini’s prior record of just three Roland Garros match wins and none at Wimbledon before this year’s tournaments, her achievement is extraordinary. Though still without a Grand Slam title, she has gained many new fans who admire her joy, passion, and fun on the court.
While Paolini will find some consolation in her growing fanbase, she is determined not to be remembered as the runner-up. “Sometimes I’m a little bit scared to dream too much,” she told reporters. “I’m going back, trying to practice, to stay in the present. This is the goal for me and my team, to maintain this level as much as possible.”
“If I keep this level, I think I can achieve great things. But if not, nothing good will come. Today, I dreamed of holding the trophy, but it didn’t work out. I’m sure I will do it, but today it’s tough to speak because I was close but not close enough.”
Seventh-seeded Paolini will rise to number five in the WTA rankings on Monday.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)