Jasmine Paolini came into Wimbledon with high hopes. Why wouldn’t she? Last year, she was the runner-up here. Barbora Krejčíková took the crown after a 1-hour and 56-minute battle that ended 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in Barbora’s favor. But Jasmine bounced back. She won Gold at the Paris Olympics doubles last year with Sara Errani. This year, the duo clinched the French Open doubles title too! However, history didn’t quite repeat itself for her singles Wimbledon campaign this year.

On Wednesday, Kamilla Rakhimova ended the run of the Italian fourth seed in the second round. Paolini had entered the match riding high after a comeback win over Anastasija Sevastova in Round 1, where she recovered from dropping the first set. But the most recent loss hit her hard. In the post-match press conference, she confessed her thoughts on the match, “It was a tough one. I’m still thinking about the 2nd set. I could do much better. She played a great match. But honestly I could play better.”

So, what might have changed the outcome? Jasmine Paolini pointed to fatigue. “I feel a little bit tired right now. It’s tough to accept. It was two intense months before here. Maybe I could skip the first tournament after Roland Garros to rest a little bit. Doesn’t make sense to talk about these kind of things now,” she reflected.

The match was tense to the very end. Despite trailing 4-5, 0-40, Jasmine showed incredible grit by saving three match points. But the fourth proved too much, and Rakhimova secured her first-ever Round 3 appearance at a grass-court major. “I was hoping today to extend on court and try to focus every point. But as I said before, my attention was going up and down,” Paolini admitted. It’s a bitter defeat for the Italian.

With Paolini’s departure, Aryna Sabalenka remains the sole player among the top five seeds still standing in the women’s draw. But her Wimbledon journey isn’t over yet. She’s got the doubles tournament coming up tomorrow! Will she and Sara Errani showcase their prowess again? Only time will tell! Although she’s certainly impressed a few with her prowess on the doubles court this year!

Ex-pro applauds Jamine Paolini’s 2025 rise

After an electrifying run at the Italian Open this year, the 29-year-old showed she’s a force to reckon with. She kicked off by cruising past New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in straight sets, then kept the fire burning by knocking out Ons Jabeur and Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 32 and Round of 16. The quarterfinals brought a nail-biter, as Paolini staged a stunning comeback against Diana Shnaider, rallying from a set down and a 0-4 deficit in the second. She didn’t stop there—crushing American Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 in the semis, then wrapping up her singles campaign by beating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in just one hour and 29 minutes to claim the title.

But wait, there’s more! Jasmine Paolini teamed up with her doubles partner Sara Errani, and together they stormed into the finals. The duo clinched the doubles crown with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens, completing a sensational Roman double. This feat didn’t go unnoticed—former WTA star Jennifer Capriati tweeted, “Breaking through at 28 with no prior results is that right? 2 slam finals, winning a master title on your home turf, in Italy as an Italian. That’s a tough task. Pretty cool. Late bloomer is an understatement! And winning the doubles as well? Wow.”

Paolini entered the 2025 season riding the wave of a breakout 2024. That year marked her rise as a consistent WTA threat. She snagged her first WTA 1000 singles title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. In doubles, she and Errani had a stellar run, winning the Italian Open, the Linz Open, and most notably, Olympic Gold at Paris 2024. Her strong performances helped lead Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup title, cementing her status as a key player on the world stage.

Now, with singles behind her for the moment, could Jasmine Paolini be ready to dominate doubles? The excitement is real! We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. And for live, minute-by-minute action from the Championships, don’t forget to check out our Live Blog.