ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2024

Jasmine Paolini

Press Conference

J. PAOLINI/E. Avanesyan

4-6, 6-0, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Jasmine, congratulations, into your first Grand Slam quarterfinal in singles. Can you just talk through your emotions, how it feels to reach this stage for the first time.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Of course it feels so good and I'm really happy. Today was a tough match. I didn't start so well. I was a little bit nervous maybe.

But then I repeat to myself to stay calm and to try to find a way. Yeah, it went well, so I'm really happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You said after your win that you change something. You gain confidence. Before you didn't have this confidence. What did you change in your life to be more confident and to be able to fight and go through this rank today?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think I just, you know, try to work on myself also on court but also outside the court, and of course winning helps.

I played some big matches last year with few top players, and I think that help me to have more confidence in myself. I was, like, okay, I can play with those players. Match by match, at the end, I think now I believe more in myself.

I step on court and I say, okay, it's tough, but I have a chance, you know. Before was, like, I cannot win these matches. I have to, I don't know, do a miracle, yeah (smiling).

But now I step on court, and I say, okay, I can have my chance. I have to play well, of course, but I have chances. Yeah.

Q. Seems to me that there are a lot of Italian players at the moment playing excellent tennis. Do you think it's some sort of, shall I say, a sort of effort, a community effort or is it a single effort for each one of you?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think each one of us is doing her own, like, career, but I think, you know, winning helps everybody. You know, we are pushing each other. So I think I'm really happy about this.

I mean, Jannik is doing well, Lorenzo also is doing well, Arnaldi, Elisabetta, Lucia, Martina. Everybody is playing well, so we are a lot of players doing well.

Yeah, I think it helps everybody to see other, you know, guys winning.

Q. We know of course that you are Italian, but I believe you have in your heritage also Poland and also Ghana. Could you, for a minute, just tell us a little bit about that. Also, do you think in some ways that helps you as both a player and a person?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, I always say that for me it's important, I mean, I'm proud to have different bloods in my body. Of course I'm feeling Italian, you know, I born in Italy, I'm Italian, but that's I think important part of my life.

My mom, she's Polish, but, you know, my grandfather is from Ghana. I think I'm fast because of Ghana (smiling). But, you know, also when I was younger, like, 10 years, every summer I was going to Poland. I can speak Polish.

That's I think it's something more, you know, to have in your person. It's a plus. I don't know how to say. Something more. So I'm really proud of it, yeah.

Q. You lost the first set 6-4, and suddenly everything changed and you lost only one game till the end of the match. What changed in your mind, in your game, until after the 6-4 you lost?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think it started to change when I was 4-Love down. You know, I was trying to be more calm and to play every point and to hit the right ball, to be more, yeah, to be more focused on the court. When I was defending, I was telling to myself, please cross, not down the line, because I was doing so many mistakes.

But then, yeah, I was, like, more calm I think, and I was understanding more better the game, yeah.