ROLAND GARROS

June 5, 2024

Jasmine Paolini

Press Conference

J. PAOLINI/E. Rybakina

6-2, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Jasmine, congratulations. Into the singles and doubles semifinals here at Roland Garros.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Can you talk about what this day has meant to you just overall here at this tournament.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, today was the perfect day, I think, singles and doubles. The singles was a really tough match. I'm happy I managed to come back in the third set, because, you know, was tough after the second set.

But, yeah, I'm really happy with my performance, and I'm also happy for the doubles, of course.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I'm curious, how is it as someone who has been on the tour for a little while and you've seen female players get bigger and bigger, is it challenging? Is it intimidating for somebody who is, with all due respect, not as big as your opponent today and some of the newer players? Or is it kind of like some secret weapon that you have?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Secret weapon? No (smiling). I wish I was taller, because I could serve better. But I think, you know, I accept that I have to do with my own body. I mean, I'm short. Okay, we try to don't make it a problem, you know, we try to do something different to improve other aspect, like serve.

I mean, I wish I was taller, but it's okay, but I'm not.

Q. Me too.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, I'm not. We have to do with what I have, you know (smiling).

Q. You're obviously playing with Sara this fortnight in the doubles. I know she's been in your box and support team for all of your matches. Is she there purely as support? Is she helping you out tactically at all? What's the relationship there?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think she's helping me so much, you know, to play doubles with her I can talk in tennis with her, I can ask her strategies, but also, some, you know, advices, how to step on court, what can I do today to play better.

You know, it's somebody that I think can help me so much. She already did a Grand Slam final, so she already have been in this position.

So I think is just someone that can help me in many aspects, you know.

Q. Will you watch the first semifinal? Generally, how much do you generally like to watch of other matches?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I like to watch other matches, but, you know, depends, because sometimes you want just to switch off and do other things. But if I had the chance, why not?

I didn't watch the Sabalenka-Andreeva because I was playing doubles, but if I had the chance, I really like to watch women battles or men. Yesterday I watched Jannik playing. Yeah, I like tennis, so it's nice to watch in TV.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know, because I'm gonna prepare the match. So depends. Maybe yes, but few points. I mean, it's just before our match, so I have to prepare, you know.

Q. Your progress has been fairly steady, although you have done very well this year with Australia, with Dubai, and now here. Was there a point where you either did something or something happened to you where you thought, right, I am now getting up to the top?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think I started to play better with more consistency last year and let's say in the middle July. You know, I think match by match I felt more convinced that I can play at the higher level, you know. But it was a process. Is not like I switch something. It was a process.

Yeah, now, as I said many times, I step on court and I say to myself that I have a chance to win the match, you know. Before it was, like, sometimes, for example, when I was playing against the top players, I was, like, okay, I need a miracle to win this match. So I was already, you know, losing the match before even playing (smiling).

Q. A few things regarding the semifinal. You'll face Mirra. You played, like, a month ago. Which impressions you have and which things you need to improve? And she decided not to play doubles after her win today in quarters. Did you think or, like, something like this, or you are thinking only about playing?

JASMINE PAOLINI: No, no. I mean, I decide to play doubles here. For me, it's as important as singles, because if you enter in a competition, in my opinion, you have to finish.

But, you know, that's my decision. I understand the other side. I don't want to criticize anyone. But for myself was important to step on court and to try to win also the quarterfinals in doubles.

With Mirra, it's going to be a tough match. I played against her in Madrid, and she's really great player, I think. She's so young but she's so, so good mentally, and she can defend very well. She can serve well.

It's going to be a tough match, but we are in the semifinal, so there is no chance to get easy matches (smiling).

Q. It seems like the best Italian women players get better when they're older. You know, they have their best results then. Is that because you decide at a certain point, look, I'm just going to be more aggressive or is it because your games are a little more complicated and things have to come together more and it's better to be older than younger?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. I know that for myself it was a long process, because, you know, I think I had to believe in each step I did. For example, I was, the first time I was top 100, now I think that I could reach that goal before, but maybe I wasn't ready. I don't know.

So I think every step that I did, I did in that moment because I believed in that moment that I could do it.

The problem, I think, let's say "problem," but it's me that I wasn't believing that I could reach the result that I'm reaching now when I was younger, yeah.

For the others, I don't know. You should ask them.

Q. You said a few times that you lacked self-belief against the bigger players. In general, why do you feel that is? Why didn't you have that belief in yourself earlier in your career?

JASMINE PAOLINI: That's a good question. I don't know. I don't know. Really, I don't know. I think just it helped me to win match by match against those players, or at the beginning it was just fighting with them. And then, yeah, winning some big matches. But honestly, I don't know why I didn't believe in myself.

Q. I would like to know how do you deal with the news that you have right now? Like, the past months you have won a lot of matches. Right now you're in semifinal of a Grand Slam. There is more journalists, more attention around you. How do you deal with that?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think it's a privilege, because if I'm here with many journalists, it means that I did something good, you know.

Yeah, it's a little bit different, but it's a nice thing. It's not a bad thing, yeah.