Jasmine Paolini was unsure about her winning chances in the upcoming quarterfinal clash against Coco Gauff at the ongoing Cincinnati Open. She jokingly stated that even help from the tournament owner, Ben Navarro, might not be enough.
Paolini was at her best, as she dominantly won 6-1, 6-2 against Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth round to set up the quarterfinal clash against the second-seeded Coco Gauff, who won the Cincinnati title in 2023.
After Jasmine Paolini’s win over Barbora Krejcikova, the on-court interviewer brought up the head-to-head against Gauff on the different surfaces and asked the Italian’s opinion on what she could do to get a win over the American player on a hard court. The seventh seed replied that she could try to play clay-court-style tennis on the hard courts as well.
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"I should play like on the clay court but it's tough to play here. You know, it's so different here, it's so fast. Yeah a couple of years ago I won five games." said Paolini during the on-court interview
The interviewer continued jestingly, and stated that in light of Ben Navarros' $260 million investment to renovate the Cincinnati Open, clay could be brought in before Paolini's match to even her odds against Gauff in the quarterfinals.
"Well listen Ben Navarro spent 260 million dollars. Maybe we can get some clay brought in before your match. We'll make it into a clay court match". said the interveiwer
On hearing the interviewer, Paolini replied that it would not be a guaranteed win for her on clay, as Gauff was equally good on the dirt, as she won the French Open this year.
"Thank you very much..I,m not sure it's good on clay...Because she won Roland Garros" said Paolini about her chances in the quarterfinal
The following video shows the on-court interview:
The head-to-head between Gauff and Paolini is tied at 2-2, with the Italian winning both the clay-court encounters against the American player this year at Stuttgart and Rome. Meanwhile, Gauff has had the Italian's number on the hard courts, winning both encounters on that surface, including at the 2023 Cincinnati Open, where she won the title.
The quarterfinal clash between Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini is scheduled to take place on August 15 (Friday).
Jasmine Paolini has had success in both singles and doubles this year
2025 has been a good year for Jasmine Paolini on the tennis court in both singles and doubles. In the singles, she has won 31 of her 44 matches, winning her home event in Rome, and has had semifinal finishes in Miami, Stuttgart, and Bad Homburg, which are three different surfaces.
The Italian has had success on the doubles court with her compatriot Sara Errani as well. The Italian duo have reached four doubles finals this year, winning two WTA 1000 events in Doha and Rome, and have clinched the French Open as well.
Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani are at the Cincinnati Open as well, as the Italian pair have advanced to the semifinals, slated to face the team of Hanyu Guo and Alexandra Panova.
