Jasmine Paolini relinquishes WTA top 10 status after 101-week stint ends following failed Rome Open title defence

For the past couple of years, Jasmine Paolini has been a staple of the top 10 in the WTA rankings. However, a third round exit to the hands of Elise Mertens in the Rome Open will see her drop out of it when the tournament concludes, in which she will no longer be the champion.

Her chances of reclaiming her crown from last year were slim. She would be guaranteed the support from her home fans, but would need a lot more than that to get over the line. Paolini squeezed past Leolia Jeanjean in her first match in three sets, coming back from a set down to complete a commendable comeback. However, this was a bigger task.

This time, Paolini stormed ahead. A late break secured her the first set and left her one away from reaching the last-16. After going a break down in the second ser, Paolini won four successive games to go clear once more. Mertens got level, and it stayed on serve until the inevitable tiebreak was needed.

This could have been much different. Leading 6-5, Paolini created three separate match points on the Belgian's serve but was unable to convert any of them. Mertens would compound her misery by clinching the tiebreak and left the match for the taking.

Mertens took the initiative, breaking to go 3-1 up. A break to love saw Paolini quickly level but that was short lived. Mertens again went ahead before this time rebuffing the pressure Paolini put on her serve. Unlike her opponent, Mertens was able to see it out with her second match point, ending Paolini's title defence in Rome with a whimper and seeing her suffer in terms of her ranking.

It has been an impressive streak for Paolini. She first climbed into the top 10 after am amazing 2026 season where she made consecutive Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, losing both. She could not continue that form on the major stage, but at WTA 1000 level she impressed. A title in Rome was backed up with a final in Cincinnati. A brace of semi-finals in Miami and Wuhan were impressive results which saw her qualify for the WTA Finals.

Her form has not continued into 2026. A third round loss at the Australian Open was followed by concerning second round defeats in both 1000 tournaments in Qatar and Dubai. This pattern continued through the Sunshine swing where she picked up just three wins, and has managed just two victories in three clay tournaments this year, a surface that she likes.

The inevitable fall in the rankings was likely to be after Rome. Her incredible title from last year sparked jubilant scenes in the Italian capital, but recent poor form has seen her tumble down.

Her success should not go unnoticed. With 101 weeks inside the WTA top 10, she holds the longest streak out of any Italian. Her form may have dipped, but there is still a quality player within, and she will be putting in the work to return.