Jasmine Paolini had arrived at Wimbledon on the back of dismal results on both clay and grass. The World No. 17 hadn’t been able to produce a strong run of results since March, when she had reached the semifinals of the Merida Open. With grass not being her preferred surface, there weren’t many expectations around her at the start of the competition. But it is safe to say that Paolini has turned the tables around at the SW19.

She reached the fourth round of the Grand Slam with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over Maria Sakkari. Paolini outclassed her opponent in most of the areas and wrapped up the match in just 66 minutes. The 30-year-old’s post-match reaction highlighted how much this result meant to her, as she failed to control her emotions after making it to the second week of the tournament.

“A lot. You know… the last months were a little bit tough,” she said during her post-match interview. “I’m really happy. Especially with how I played today. It’s always tough to play against Maria. Always great battles. Last time I lost in Doha. I’m really happy that today I really enjoyed myself on court. It’s an amazing feeling when you feel like that on court. Thank you also to the crowd. Many Italians here, but also fans from all around the world. It was a great day. Honestly, I’m really really happy.”

What makes this run even more impressive is that Wimbledon is a tournament where Paolini has struggled over the years. Apart from her appearance in the final in 2024, she hasn’t been able to make it past the second round in the five appearances she had previously made in the main draw.

Paolini had suffered first-round exits at Wimbledon in 2021, 2022, and 2023. After being defeated in the final by Barbora Krejcikova, the Italian was knocked out in the second round by Kamilla Rakhimova last year and maintained a dismal 7-5 win-loss record over the last five years.

But the three wins that the Italian has racked up in the ongoing edition will provide her with a major boost of confidence. Paolini will now be aiming to replicate her run from the 2024 edition as she tries to go the distance.

The veteran had begun the tournament with quite a tough battle against Robin Montgomery. The latter had taken the first set 6-0 as Paolini appeared to be completely out of her rhythm. But she picked up her game in the second set and mounted a stunning comeback. She clinched victory by winning the next two sets 6-4, 7-5, respectively.

Paolini then racked up a gritty 7-6, 6-4 win over Viktoija Golubic in the second round before convincingly besting Sakkari on Saturday.

But her biggest test of the tournament will come in the fourth round, where she is scheduled to take on Alexandra Eala. The Filipino has also had quite an impressive run in the tournament and has reached the stage after defeating the defending champion 7-6, 6-2 in the third round. Interestingly, Eala also had a similar reaction to Paolini after she advanced to the fourth round.

Alexandra Eala breaks down in tears after defeating Iga Swiatek

Eala became the first Filipino player of the Open Era to reach the second week of a Grand Slam with her remarkable win over Swiatek. She was overwhelmed after the match and couldn’t control her emotions as she opened up about the magnitude of the result.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” she said during her post-match interview. “I’m in the second week of a slam. It’s amazing for me. Iga is a phenomenal player and a really nice person. I’m really grateful to be able to share Center Court with her at Wimbledon.”

The 21-year-old also opened up about her childhood struggles while talking about the victory and explained why making it this far into the Grand Slam is already a huge deal for her.

“I don’t know how to describe it. I’m in the second week of a slam. It’s amazing for me. Iga is a phenomenal player and a really nice person. I’m really grateful to be able to share Center Court with her at Wimbledon,” she added.

Paolini and Eala had their first-ever tour-level meeting earlier this year in Dubai. The Filipino had proved to be the better player on that occasion and had advanced to the Round of 16 with a 6-1, 7-6 victory.

Both players are on a strong run, even though they prefer playing on courts other than grass. It remains to be seen who will be able to advance further into the SW19 as the two lock horns on Monday.