Jasmine Paolini has been preparing for a fresh chapter in her career. A top-10 player hiring their doubles partner as a coach is a rarity, but for Paolini, it looks like it might be the key to unlock her 2026 season after a year of ups and downs that ended with just one singles title.

The announcement came during her appearance on Che Tempo Che Fa, where she sat alongside her longtime doubles partner, Sara Errani. Now ranked world number 8, Paolini confirmed her new team for the 2026 season and revealed that two major additions are being made to her coaching setup. The first one is that Danilo Pizzorno will take over as her new head coach. The second piece of news is that Errani will join her team as a player-coach.

“Sara will be on my team next season,” said Paolini. “I’ll have two people this year (in 2026): Danilo Pizzorno will be my coach, and she (Errani) will take care of the tactics, because she’s on another level.”

Errani brings elite experience to this new role. A nine-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and one of the most respected players Italy has produced, she is known for her deep understanding of match strategy and court awareness. Having Errani on board also brings an added level of synergy, as the two have enjoyed a fruitful partnership since last year, winning Olympic gold.

But integrating such expertise comes amid a year of major coaching changes for Paolini.

In March, she ended her long-running partnership with coach Renzo Furlan. He was replaced by Marc Lopez, the former doubles player and one-time member of Rafael Nadal’s coaching staff.

However, that partnership lasted only a few months and came to an end shortly after Wimbledon. For the remainder of the season, including the US Open and the year-end events, Paolini worked with Federico Gaio.

Now, Jasmine Paolini’s focus is fully on the future with Danilo Pizzorno. The Italian revealed that they actually began working together around four to five years ago in a limited way but will now be working together at full speed.

“I’ll have Danilo Pizzorno at my side,” she said. “We are working hard on our opening shots and will continue to do so before the start of the new season.” The objective is obvious: to become more aggressive and dangerous from the first ball.

Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani reignite their golden doubles partnership

In recent years, Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani have emerged as one of the WTA Tour’s most successful doubles teams. Over the past two seasons, they have won Olympic gold at Paris 2024, lifted the Roland Garros title in 2025, and captured back-to-back WTA 1000 trophies in Rome. Their partnership has been a shining example of Italian tennis at its best.

However, at 38, the prospect of retirement looms for Errani. She has occasionally hinted that the end of her playing days may be approaching, but for now, she remains committed to competing, particularly in doubles alongside Paolini.

Top Stories

Aryna Sabalenka Caught off Guard As Ball Kid Delivers Stunning Feat at Match-Point

Iga Swiatek’s Ex-Coach Breaks Silence on the Split That Left Him ‘Relieved’

Nick Kyrgios Drops Sharp 2-Word Reaction to Ben Shelton After Dramatic On-court Fall

WATCH: Nick Kyrgios Crashes Over the Net After Ben Shelton Shows No Mercy

Carlos Alcaraz Reveals the One Habit That Makes Him Unstoppable on Court

“In the last three years, I’ve grown as a player and as a person; I have clearer ideas on court. I always try to move forward and forgive myself. Tennis forgets quickly,” Errani said.

Jasmine Paolini, meanwhile, continues to build on her singles success. After finishing 2024 as world No. 4 and the current season as world No. 8, she has made two consecutive WTA Finals appearances and helped lead Italy to back-to-back Billie Jean King Cup victories.

Having Errani in her corner, both as a doubles partner and now in a tactical role, gives Paolini an added advantage as she aims to keep climbing in singles while maintaining their successful doubles partnership.

The pair will reunite at the start of the 2026 season at the United Cup in Australia, held from January 2nd to 11th in Perth and Sydney. Paolini will lead Italy in singles, while Errani is expected to participate in mixed doubles alongside Andrea Vavassori, her Grand Slam-winning partner.