In the absence of ATP number 2 Jannik Sinner, he automatically becomes Jasmine Paolini the reference point of Italian tennis at the starting line of the Italian Internationals 2024. After winning her first career 1000m in Dubai last February, the Tuscan also dreams big at the Foro Italico to confirm the progress of recent months and continue the climb towards the top 10 of the world rankings (since yesterday she is 12th in the world) .
“It’s a new situation. I focus on appreciating everything, starting with paying more attention to myself: after all, it’s nice to be in this ranking position. And it’s thrilling to play important matches against top players. I try to live in the present. THEThe secret is to enjoy the moment, to be here in this beautiful tournament, which I came to watch as a spectator as a child, to be able to play in front of this audience, to be able to do my best and be satisfied with myself.” declares the 28 year old.
In the pre-tournament press conferenceJasmine also spoke about the differences compared to a year ago on a personal and tennis level: “I’m still the same person but I get a lot more attention from fans. From a technical point of view, I like to hit flat but I’m trying to insert as many variations as possible into my game, starting with top spin, even if for my coach it’s still not enough.”
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“Above all, one of the keys was to start serving better and consequently be able to start rallies in a better position. I try to vary as much as possible even if I don’t always manage to serve as I would like. And then there’s the awareness that I can play with everyone. If I have to choose a match that represents all the progress I have made, perhaps it is the one against Garcia in the third round in Madrid.” underlines Paolini.
The star of the Italian women’s movement was asked about her scoreboard (debut directly in the second round against one of Martic and Sherif, with potentially on the horizon Azarenka in the third round, Sakkari in the round of 16 and Rybakina in the quarterfinals): “I haven’t watched it, I never do. It’s a form of superstition. I prefer to focus on one match at a time also because there is no point in looking too far ahead“.
