ROLAND GARROS

June 8, 2024

Jasmine Paolini

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/J. Paolini

6-2, 6-1

(Applause.)

THE MODERATOR: Jasmine, I know it's not the result you wanted today, but just how proud are you of making it here to the Roland Garros final and competing out there today?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, it was tough, but it was lots of fun. I mean, to play a Grand Slam final, it's beautiful. I mean, I hope to play -- I mean, I think I played a tough match, but I gave my 100%. Iga, it's a very huge opponent, but, you know, I enjoyed it out there. I'm happy with myself.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congratulations, and good luck tomorrow, as well.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Thank you.

Q. Concerning your run here and the fact it's now put you in the top 10, I wonder if you've had time to process that, that you'll be No. 7 in the world? What do you think it will be like to play the next season as a top-10 player?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. I really didn't think too much about this. Yeah, of course I'm really happy. Now it's a strange feeling. I just lost the final, but I think I have to be happy of those two weeks, you know, and my new ranking.

It's a happy moment for me. It's not a sad moment. Yeah, I have to admit to try to see the things like that.

Q. Well done this tournament.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Thank you.

Q. Have you been thinking the last few months that the trajectory, the arc of your career, is changing, and that you've entered a different phase? Or have you been thinking, like, I'm in a really good place at this moment?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I mean, I was playing better and better. I think I was trying to, you know, step on court and try to do one more step to keep going. I don't know where this journey is going to -- I don't know how to say -- take me. But I'm curious to, you know, to discover that I'm trying to step on court every day and to give my 100%.

Let's see what the future will bring to me, yeah.

Q. Congratulations for being in the finals.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Thank you.

Q. Last year I was there on court No. 6 when you played Olga Danilovic and lost that night in Roland Garros. Do you remember that match? What are the things you changed, from losing on court No. 6 to being in top form on Philippe Chatrier playing the final?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, I remember that match, too. It was really painful. No, it was a tough match. She played really good, and she played good here.

But I think, yeah, I am a little bit more consistent. Throughout this year I have been more consistent, and that I think helped me to take also chances when the chances are coming, you know.

Yeah, I think that's the difference, but, you know, we still try to improve. Because I think it's the most important thing to step on court every day and try to improve and to keep this consistency. Because if you stop I think the consistency will stop with you.

Q. You said on court that playing Iga here is one of the toughest things in tennis. Could you explain why it's so difficult to play against her.

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. I mean, she's playing unbelievable here. She's taking the balls early, taking time to you, but also using rotation. She can defend really, really well. On clay, she's unbelievable. Also on hard court, come on, she won so many tournaments this year.

But I think to play her here, it's something different. She won already four titles, and she's still 22 years old. These numbers are not, let's say, normal, are something unbelievable.

Yeah, I think she's unbelievable player.

Q. Building on that question, do you think there is anything differently you could have done today or was it just playing an opponent at too high a level?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. I tried my best today. Maybe. Maybe I could do some, I don't know, more games to try to be more in the match. I don't know. Maybe she could do more mistakes; maybe not. Because she was playing unbelievable level I think all the match. No mistakes, hitting winners.

I mean, I tried to play my best, but it's not easy I think also to play at that intensity. I never played a player that has this intensity before in my life. So was my first time facing a player that, yeah, is taking time as much as she does, but also hitting winners and be close on the court, you know.

So for me, right now, yeah, I think it was the most challenging match I played in my entire career, yeah.

Q. You said a couple of days ago that you dream step by step, which is a really interesting insight. You've reached a Grand Slam final now, world No. 7. What's the next dream?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. At the moment, I don't know (smiling).

No, you know, I think that my goal right now is to try to keep this level, to let's say play against Iga one more time. I don't know where. It can be second round, can be first round. I don't care.

I think to play against her can give me something to add things to my game. You know, it's challenging, but the same time, I can understand more what I have to improve, what I have to add to my game.

So I am enjoying the moment. As I said, I love to play at this level with those players. I played Rybakina, which is world No. 4. I played Iga, which is World No. 1.

I don't know where the future can bring me. I don't know which one is my next dream. But, you know, I'm enjoying the moment, I'm in the present, and I think it's nice to discover, you know, step by step, yeah.

Q. You played her a couple of years ago. Do you find her as intense now as she was then?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think today was tougher than the last time. Last time was 6-3, 6-0, something like that, but I feel like today was tougher.

I think I'm playing better than two years ago, I think. But she's playing better too (laughter). Especially on this surface. So I don't know. I think this one was more difficult, yeah.

Q. Do you think you could play with that kind of intensity?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I mean, I think I played, like, four games at that intensity. Then was tough. But I was trying to, you know, trying to hit as hard as I could the ball, because if I just trying to put the ball into the court was a winner.

So you have to push, push, push every ball. Because if not, you have no chances to play the points, you know.

So I know that. Now I will try maybe, I don't know, in the practice to try to have more this intensity, to next time I hope I face her again to try to be more in the game, you know, in the match.

Q. I would like to take you back to Dubai, in the first round you had this crazy, crazy match against Beatriz Haddad Maia. You were losing 2-6 before you won the match, won the tournament. Are you sometimes thinking about that match, what happened since then until now?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Not much, but, you know, sometimes when you lose like this and you go out of troubles in the first round of tournament, it happens that you can win the tournament. We see Iga here, but it happens a lot of times.

But I don't know, because I think I was playing better. Of course that match changed a little bit the tournament and the ranking, as well, and gave me confidence to, you know, to make any other good result.

But I don't know if that match really changed, let's say, my career. I don't know. Maybe. But every match is important. I could win that match and lose in the second round. So I don't know. It's not, I think, like that.

Q. You broke Iga early in the game in the first set, and then suddenly it looked like you were just defending yourself and running left to right, right to left. Could you run us through your thoughts during the game, during the match.

JASMINE PAOLINI: It's not easy, as I said, because I was trying to, you know, to put intensity into the game. But also, it stress me a little bit. So sometimes I was going down the line instead of cross to try to move her, because if not she was moving myself.

I don't know. Maybe I was going a little bit down with intensity and she was same level, I think, all the match.

That, I think, is the big difference. Then of course there are a lot of other difference, but that one is the main one, that she keep the intensity all the game, all the balls, and all the points. It's not easy to stay there, yeah.

Q. There was Chris Evert on the court. She has seven Grand Slams here in Roland Garros. Do you think one day Swiatek can beat her?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Definitely. (Laughter.)

No, I don't know. But, I mean, she's 22 years old. She has already four. I think, yes, she can win three more, but I don't know. Let's see.

It's tough, you know, it's not easy. Every year it's tough to win a tournament. She already won four times, but yeah, I think she can do it.