"I like the conditions here, let’s fight": Jasmine Paolini up for Iga Swiatek battle after surviving gruelling Kudermetova duel

Jasmine Paolini’s remarkable 2025 season continues to gather momentum, as the Italian battled her way into the Cincinnati Open final with another gritty performance. After overcoming a tense semifinal with Veronika Kudermetova, Paolini admitted the path was anything but straightforward.

Paolini went a set up and for all the will looked like she would conclude it but would be wondering why me as Kudermetova hit back and she had to endure a tense ending. But the Italian is through to a showpiece with Iga Swiatek next up.

It has been a supreme tournament for the infectious Italian who saw off Coco Gauff earlier in the tournament and now stares down the Wimbledon champion to add to her Dubai crown last year and Rome this year which saw her ultimately rise to become a huge threat. She had long been rising in the rankings but broke out and Kudermetova was a match she wrangled with and said she needed to be present and forget the nerves.

“Yes, it was really tough,” she reflected in her on-court interview. “She’s playing really well—big serve and amazing shots. I was 5-3 in the second, and until that moment everything was fine. I was focused, a bit relaxed. Then after that, I was getting nervous and nervous, and I said to myself after losing the title that I have to step back on court, be in the present, don’t think about what happened. I did my best. It didn’t work in the second set, but you have to keep going. That was the key, to forget and go back and fight and stay in the present. It certainly worked.”

That determination has become a hallmark of Paolini’s rise. A late bloomer by tour standards, the 29-year-old has built her game on resilience, consistency, and the ability to adapt under pressure. It showed again in Cincinnati, where she found a way to steady herself despite letting a lead slip before finishing the match strongly.

Her reward is a place in another WTA 1000 final—and a chance to take on the very best. Standing across the net will be world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who earlier defeated Elena Rybakina to reach her first final at the third attempt. For Paolini, it is a daunting challenge, but one she embraces.

“It’s been really tough against her,” Paolini admitted. “She’s an amazing player. It’s always tough to play her. She’s defending really well and serving good as well. It’s going to be tough, but I’m trying to do my best. We are in the final. I like the conditions here. Let’s fight. Hopefully, it’s going to be a good match.”

Paolini’s head-to-head record against Swiatek leaves little doubt as to the scale of the task. The Pole has won all of their meetings, using her heavy spin, relentless defense, and improved serve to dictate the rhythm. But Paolini has proved time and again in 2025 that she can rise to new heights. Her fearless run to the Roland Garros final earlier this year showed her ability to challenge the elite, and victories over top-10 opponents have underlined her progress. The Italian’s mindset is simple: fight for every point and trust the work that has brought her here. “Let’s fight,” she said with a smile. “Hopefully it’s going to be a good match.”

The Cincinnati crowd, who have embraced Paolini’s underdog story, will no doubt be behind her as she seeks to claim the biggest title of her career. The interviewer summed up the mood perfectly, telling fans: “If anybody can do it tomorrow, it’s you.” Paolini, grateful but composed, kept her response short and sincere: “Thank you guys, thank you.”