The number speaks for itself. Jasmine Paolini has completed her 100th consecutive week inside the WTA top 10, a milestone no Italian player, male or female, had ever reached.
It all started on June 10, 2024, the day after her first Grand Slam final at Roland-Garros. Paolini, then 28, burst into the top 10 following a stunning run on the Parisian clay. Five weeks later, she cracked the top 5 after reaching a second consecutive Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. Her career-high ranking of world No. 4 came in October 2024.
Since then, the Tuscan has never left the elite. Week after week, tournament after tournament, Paolini has maintained a remarkable level of consistency. She surpassed Sara Errani and her 94 weeks, the previous Italian women's record dating back to 2014. Before Errani, Francesca Schiavone held 70 weeks, Flavia Pennetta 38, Roberta Vinci 29. Only five Italian women have ever ranked inside the WTA top 10.
The crowning moment came in Rome in 2025, when Paolini became the first Italian woman to win the Foro Italico title in forty years. A home triumph that cemented her status as an icon of Italian tennis.
But sport never stands still. Her title defense in Rome ended prematurely against Elise Mertens, who prevailed 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 after Paolini failed to convert three match points. The loss is expected to drop her outside the top 10 after 101 consecutive weeks, a record that will be difficult for the next generation of Italian players to match.
Currently ranked 8th in the world, Paolini leaves an indelible mark. In a country that long searched for an heir to Schiavone, the Tuscan did far more than pick up the baton: she redefined what seemed possible for Italian women's tennis.
