Jasmine Paolini will soon play the biggest match of her life. On July 13, the 28-year-old will face Barbora Krejcikova in the Wimbledon finals.
On July 11, Jasmine became the first Italian woman in history to reach a Wimbledon final after beating Donna Vekić.
"I’m so happy with this win," Jasmine told reporters afterwards, per CNN. "I think this match I will remember forever."
But the path to Jasmine's first Grand Slam won't be easy. 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 Grand Slam 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.
Her parents are Jacqueline Gardiner and Ugo Paolini.
Jasmine's parents are Jacqueline Gardiner and Ugo Paolini. The two met at a bar in Tuscany and got married shortly after their first meeting, per The Sun. Jacqueline, who grew up in Poland, moved to Italy shortly after completing her education and worked at a local eatery, according to The Sun.
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's maternal grandfather is Ghanaian, which she shouted out during the 2024 French Open.
"I'm fast because of Ghana," she told reporters in a post-match press conference. "I'm proud to have different bloods in my body. Of course, I'm born in Italy. I'm Italian. But that's an important part of my life."
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. She's set to represent Italy in the Olympics this summer.
She speaks Polish, thanks to her mom.
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.”
She’s mentored by a number of Italians.
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!
