"It still doesn't seem too real to me" - Jasmine Paolini reflects on reaching her maiden Wimbledon final

Following the best season of her career on tour, Jasmine Paolini is still in disbelief at her amazing run, which saw her reach the French Open and Wimbledon final.

The Italian superstar began the 2024 season with a title at Doha, the biggest singles title of her career. Subsequently, she would reach the French Open and Wimbledon finals within a few weeks of each other, falling to defending champion Iga Swiatek and former Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova respectively.

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The experience was surreal, says Paolini

The 28-year old would ride her momentum to the end of the year, finishing at a career-high ranking of World No.4. Furthermore, she would qualify for the year-ending WTA Finals, and lead Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup title a few weeks later.

In an interview with Sky Sport Italy, Paolini would reflect on her mindset during her run to both Grand Slam finals. The Italian admitted to having a more memorable experience at the SW19 final, and revealed she was still in awe of the moment.

“I was trying to realize where I was and the moment I was living because I honestly always watched the Wimbledon finals on television, it seemed like a very distant reality," said Paolini. "When I was there, I tried to tell myself to realize what moment it was and to enjoy it fully. I had seen Serena [Williams], [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic, [Maria] Sharapova. Being there in person had a big effect on me. It still doesn’t seem too real to me, to be honest."