At the Dubai Tennis Championships last year, Jasmine Paolini broke down in tears after a painful fall derailed her clash against former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin, ending in a heartbreaking collapse. One year later, at the Stuttgart Open, history echoed cruelly as Zeynep Sonmez stunned her, drawing the same raw emotion. Once again, Paolini’s tears told a story of pain, helplessness, and cruel déjà vu.

Zeynep Sonmez made a commanding start against Jasmine Paolini, breaking her in the opening and fifth games. That early control allowed the Turkish player to race through the first set 6-2 with confidence.

She carried that momentum into the second set. Sönmez moved ahead 1-0, while Paolini continued to struggle and trailed 40-30 in the following game.

The pressure began to show clearly on the Italian. Her rhythm faded, and her body language reflected growing frustration as the match slipped further away. That frustration soon turned emotional. Paolini broke down in tears during the changeover after falling behind 5-2 in the second set.

It was a difficult moment in what had already become a one-sided contest. For a player who reached the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, the performance fell far below expectations.

Sönmez, however, remained composed and firmly in control. After taking a 2-0 lead in the second set, she broke again in the seventh game to stretch her advantage to 5-2.

She then closed out the set 6-2 to complete a dominant win. The match lasted just 75 minutes, and the result secured her place in the second round, where she will face Leylah Fernandez.

While Iga Swiatek has turned to Rafael Nadal to climb back up the rankings, Jasmine Paolini has slipped from No. 3 to No. 8. With a 10–6 record and points to defend from last year’s semifinal run, this early exit could push her further down and make her clay campaign even tougher.

Jasmine Paolini’s sluggish 2026 season continues to derail her progress

Jasmine Paolini made a major coaching decision last July when she announced that she and Marc Lopez had parted ways. She had only brought him on in April, making the split both quick and significant.

The Spaniard, a former world No. 3 in doubles, had joined her team after a much longer partnership ended. Paolini’s decade-long relationship with Renzo Furlan concluded following her semifinal run at the Miami Open in March.

Searching for stability, she then turned to Danilo Pizzorno. He previously worked with World No. 17 Liudmila Samsonova for four years before their partnership ended in late 2025.

In an effort to sharpen her tactical approach, Paolini made another notable addition. She brought in a familiar presence by adding Sara Errani to her coaching team ahead of the 2026 WTA season.

The announcement came during a joint appearance on the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa, hosted by Fabio Fazio. Errani was given a clear role, focusing on the tactical side of Paolini’s game.

Despite these calculated changes, the results have not followed. The entire restructuring of her coaching setup has yet to click since the start of the season.

Paolini’s slow start to 2026 reflects that struggle. Her early results showed some promise but lacked consistency. She reached the third round at the Australian Open before suffering an early setback at the Qatar Open, where she lost in the first round to Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2 despite being the sixth seed.

The struggles continued in Dubai. At the Round of 32 of the Dubai Tennis Championships, Alex Eala produced a dominant 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win, making Paolini the third top-10 player she defeated after Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys during her breakthrough run at the Miami Open last year.

There were flashes of competitiveness later on. At the Mérida Open, Cristina Bucșa defeated Paolini 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinals, marking her first top-10 win and ending Paolini’s strong run in Mexico.

The Sunshine Double only deepened Jasmine Paolini’s struggles, as she fell in the Round of 16 to Talia Gibson at Indian Wells. Her campaign worsened with a Round of 32 defeat to Jeļena Ostapenko at the Miami Open. 

The loss to Zeynep Sonmez has only intensified concerns, with her form dipping as the clay swing gathers pace.