WTA FINALS

November 1, 2024

Jasmine Paolini

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Jasmine, your first WTA Finals - in singles and doubles. Talk us through your experience here in Riyadh and your first reflections.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, is amazing to be here. I'm trying to enjoy every moment. It's an amazing competition. We are eight in singles, eight in doubles. It's really a privilege to be here. I'm really happy to play in the both competition, of course.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In terms of preparation, energy level starting this event, how are you feeling? On the court, conditions as you've been practicing, how are you finding the court playing for you?

JASMINE PAOLINI: It's a bit fast maybe because I think of the altitude. The ball goes pretty fast. I think the surface not that fast. It's a mix. The ball also I think when you give rotation, spin, it's jumping a little, it's bouncing.

Yeah, we have days to adapt. Let's see how I'm going to play tomorrow. No, that's the thing, yeah.

Q. After the year you've had, how important is it that you don't almost see being here as the prize? Do you know what I mean? You've earned your spot, you're here.

JASMINE PAOLINI: I'm trying to really enjoy, to understand also where I am because it's important to recognize where I am, you know? It's amazing to be here. If somebody told me at the beginning of the year you're going to play WTA Finals singles and doubles, that would be crazy.

I have to say in doubles, as I said to her, in doubles I remember when I played the first tournament in Australian Open, we lost a really tight match with Hsieh-Mertens. I thought, We are playing good, maybe we can qualify to WTA Finals. I didn't say to anyone, but I was believing that (laughter).

In singles, no, I have to say I didn't thought that. Then I started to play really well. After maybe the Wimbledon singles final I said, Oh, the goal is going to qualify to WTA Finals.

Then now I'm here, I'm playing with the best players in the world. Trying to enjoy. I think it's really good. It's really funny as well to play those kind of matches here.

Trying to be prepared, focus, but also enjoying the place where I am.

Q. Do you personally have any reservations or concerns about playing here in Saudi Arabia, given the human rights record here, particularly around women's rights and the LGBTQ+ community?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think can be good for the country because I think it's woman competition with the best woman in the world. We are all working. We are all independent. I think it's good to promote this kind of competition in this country.

Two days ago I spoke with the girls that are starting to play tennis. I think they did a good job involving also the girls who start to do sport.

I think could be really good for the rights of the womans here.

Q. How much has Sara Errani been helpful with the experience she brings with her career into your mental and your ability to adapt and move so much in the rankings in the past year? Has she been mentoring you a lot? Do you ask her a lot of questions?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yes. She help me so much. I think also playing doubles with her help me so much. I think it's not random that it came all together, that I started to play doubles every week. I improve also in singles. She played also WTA Finals singles and doubles.

It's weird. I think she help me so much. I did a lot of question to her. Also she's kind of different player from me. I am trying to stole something also from her game, how she read the game, how she understand the game. Maybe she's more tactic than me. Without 'maybe', she's more tactic than me inside the court. She's smarter probably.

Playing doubles with her I think help me to even better understand the game.

Q. Taking on Elena Rybakina first. Two tough matches on clay this year. She hasn't played since US Open. You have played obviously. In these quicker conditions, what do you think is the challenge there?

JASMINE PAOLINI: The challenge going to be to return to her serve here, as always (laughter). Here especially.

I don't really know what to expect. I think it's going to be a tough match, of course. I have to play deep, trying to serve well because I think she's going to play aggressive, of course. She's a big server.

I think the most important thing is to try to return as much as possible and as deep as possible, trying to be fast on court as well. Trying to reduce the mistakes with a player like Elena.

We trying tomorrow (smiling).

Q. Your mom at Wimbledon was so much fun to watch. Did your family come with you? Are we going to see her standing up doing what she does?

JASMINE PAOLINI: No, we decide that they are coming in Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga. It's closer, it's easier. They are coming there. She's going to cheer for me there (smiling).

Q. How do you feel that the doubles can complement your singles game, how much it helps it, how much you have to compromise because of scheduling?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think is just a positive thing that I'm playing doubles and singles at the moment. Of course, sometime is tough physically.

I see just the positive things. As I said before, I think it's not a case or random. I don't know how to say in English. It came all together, but there is a reason why I start to play more doubles, I improve in singles.

I can see that doubles for me, it's a positive thing. Of course, we play many matches, but it's not always like this. For example, in Beijing, I play just two singles, and we won doubles. In Wuhan I played more singles, but we lost first round in doubles. Depends.

I think I am trying to see always the positive things. The positive things is that maybe if I lose singles, I have doubles to stay in the tournament, to play matches, to practice, to be focus on the tournament.

It's not easy physically, but I think for me is just positive, positive things, yeah.