Nick McCarvel is a journalist for Tennis Australia, which has contributed this piece
It's impossible to overstate just how much of a dream season 2024 was for Italian pocket rocket Jasmine Paolini.
The 28-year-old is set to enter the new year at a career-high world No.4, after reaching two major finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and pairing with countrywoman Sara Errani to claim Olympic gold in doubles.
Just recently she led Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup title, capping a season for the ages.
Jasmine Paolini of Team Italy celebrates her singles victory against Rebecca Sramkova of Team Slovakia during the Billie Jean King Cup finals. Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
And while winning is appealing, there are plenty of reasons beyond the win-loss column to celebrate Paolini.
Here are five reasons why we love Paolini so much.
1. She's tiny but mighty
In an era of Aryna Sabalenka-like power and height in women's, Paolini stands alone – literally.
At a generous 5-foot-4 or 162cm, Paolini is the shortest player among the top 10 by some three inches. Only Diana Shnaider joins Paolini in the under-5-foot-7 category among the top 20.
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That puts Paolini on a unique modern-era list of short-statured queens who have managed to go toe-to-toe with more vertically-gifted foes. That includes Errani, Paolini's doubles partner, who stands 5-foot-5, as well as another Italian standout in Francesca Schiavone – the 2010 Roland Garros champion.
South African Amanda Coetzer may be the most notable among them, the 5-foot-2 star reaching world No.3 and three major semifinals. Justine Henin, Simona Halep and Dominika Cibulkova are a few other short superstars of the recent past.
Jasmine Paolini is one of the shortest players on the WTA Tour. Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images
2. Her power of belief
While Paolini credits her rise with improved physicality and fitness, a beefed-up serve and a more pointed return game, greater belief has also helped her reach the game's upper echelon.
"I believe more in myself," Paolini said after her runner-up performance at Wimbledon, marking back-to-back major singles finals.
This aided a shift for Paolini, who needed seven years to go from world No.130 in 2017 to the top 30 by the end of last season – before her stunning acceleration in 2024.
"I never dreamed to be No.1, a grand slam champion… I never dreamed so big. Never," she explained at Roland Garros.
"I was hoping, yes… but not really believing it, you know? Believing in [myself]. I think step by step I started to believe, not dream… for closer things."
Those dreams became a reality.
3. She takes things in stride
Paolini has become a household name in Italy as she's blazed a new trail, meeting the prime minister after her Olympic gold medal triumph with Errani, one of just 12 for the Tricoloour at Paris 2024.
But Paolini has remained one of us amid the notoriety. During the Davis Cup week in which Rafael Nadal played his final match, she tracked down the legend for a long-sought-after photo.
At the Olympic Games, she and Errani posed with Carlos Alcaraz, captioning that photo: "Many fans want to take selfies with me and Sara".
Fashion editor Anna Wintour, pop star Pink and famed Italian singer-songwriter Marco Mengoni are just a few more of the who's who that Paolini has rubbed shoulders with in recent months.
And at the ATP Finals in Turin, she packed the house for an autograph session with Italian fans.
4. Her special bond with Errani
Who knew tennis was in for a second coming of Errani?
That was in large part due to Paolini, with that aforementioned Olympic gold the highlight of their season together. They also won titles together in Rome, Beijing and Linz, while finishing runner-up at Roland Garros.
Gold medallists Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy pose for a photo. Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images
Having played a few times together, the duo partnered up more consistently in mid-2023, and it was Errani who Paolini said helped her find a new layer in her game on the doubles court.
"Like two, three years ago I was hating to play doubles," Paolini admitted at the Billie Jean King Cup last month.
"But, you know, we started to play, and I learned a lot from her. I [now] know better what to do on the court, because before, I was feeling, like, 'What I'm doing here?'."
5. Her motto: "Just enjoy"
From dazzling Centre Court crowds to playing in a mixed doubles exhibition alongside Matteo Berrettini at the US Open, Paolini is 100 per cent frenetic energy, 100 per cent of the time.
"I just try to enjoy it and not put too much pressure on myself; I just enjoy the place where I am," Paolini said.
It seems genuine: From the beaming smile to the contagious laugh to the bouncy, I-can-conquer-the-world celebrations, Paolini has paired that belief with an appreciation for the moment.
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In 2025, watch out everybody.
"I think it's beautiful to play in these kinds of stadiums against top players," Paolini said in New York.
"It's what I was dreaming about as a kid – it's unbelievable."
