Tennis star Jasmine Paolini is on an impressive run after reaching the final round at the French Open in early June. The 28-year-old and Jannik Sinner also became the first Italians to reach the semis at the same time during a major, and now, she’s hoping to lock down some Ws at Wimbledon, which has been a historically tricky tournament for her.
In case you didn’t know it, Wimbledon is played on a grass court, which is a very different surface than clay or hard ones. Jasmine hasn’t had the best luck at Wimbledon in the past: The world No.7 has lost in the first round of each of her Wimbledon appearances (in 2021, 2022, and 2023). But now, she’s hoping to change that.
“This surface, it’s not easy to play on, it’s not easy to move on,” she told reporters at the Eastbourne International, per Express. “It’s a little bit different tennis but, as my coach said to me, it’s still tennis.”
While in search of her first Wimbledon win, Jasmine will be cheered on by her parents, Jacqueline Gardiner and Ugo Paolini. But who are Jasmine Paolini’s parents and how have they influenced her tennis career? Here’s what to know.
Jasmine was born in the Tuscany village of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana in January 1996. Her father Ugo is Italian, but her mother Jacqueline has Polish, Danish, and Ghanian roots, according to Tennis365.
Jasmine first picked up a racket at age 5 on the urging of her parents. “I remember that my father and my mother told me, you have to choose one sport to do,” Jasmine told WTA Insider. “In Bagni Di Lucca, there was all tennis or a swimming pool, and because of my uncle who was playing tennis, I decided to go to play.”
Jasmine said she’s “enjoyed” the sport “a lot” since she started it, and has built up a “family” at her local tennis club.
Jasmine speaks English, Italian, and Polish. This is thanks to her mother, who spoke to her in Polish when she was little. “Now I can speak Polish, but I also forgot some words,” she told WTA Insider.
Because of this, Jasmine can understand Polish players on the tour, like Iga Świątek or Magdalena Fręch. But she asks them to speak slowly to her. “Sometimes I would like to say something in Polish and I say one word in English,” she says. “My brain is mixed a lot.”
Jasmine’s tennis family is strong—and full of Italians. Jasmine is coached by former pro tennis player Renzo Furlan and plays doubles with Sara Errani. She also has a relationship with the Italian national team selector and former pro tennis player, Tathiana Garbin, according to AS.
Good luck, Jasmine!
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