WTA - The Flower of the Year

Listening to the chorus of this 1972 musical hit, it's hard not to think of the tennis player who shares her first name with this flower: Jasmine Paolini.

The same player who, during several “sweet days of summer”, enjoyed a breathtaking emergence marked by an Olympic gold medal and two consecutive Grand Slam finals.

Photo - Reddit

So, my vote for the WTA Player of the Year Award goes to this tiny Italian girl with a huge heart.

What? An athlete who hasn't won a single Grand Slam title and isn't even in the WTA Top 3?

Read also: WTA Stories of 2024

Indeed. Because, beyond the big names, it's not just the number of achievements that should be measured but also the distance covered. An immense path that led her to the Olympus of team tennis: the Italian conquest of the Billie Jean King Cup.

Photo - TTC

Nothing defined Paolini more than the term “underdog” when she began her journey on the WTA Tour. Between 2017 and 2019, she held her own between No. 130 and No. 230 in the rankings. She finally broke into the Top 100 at the age of 24 and then into the Top 30 in early 2024 at the age of 28.

As the saying goes, “It's never too late to do the right thing...”.

That’s not all. No matter what the scientists think, the size of today's top athletes remains a factor to be considered in tennis. And yet, this 5-foot, 3-inch Italian, whose average first serve velocity is just 155 km/h, has made her way up to world No. 4 over the past year.

Photo - Reuters

Paolini has played 60 tour-level matches, with a record of 40-20. Of these, 22 were played in Grand Slams and she won 18 of them.

You may be surprised to learn that this 18-4 record is the second-best of 2024 on the WTA, only trailing Aryna Sabalenka (18-1). Yes, better than those of Iga Swiatek (15-3), Coco Gauff (16-4), Elena Rybakina (11-3) or Jessica Pegula (8-3), all of whom were regulars in the Top 5 for more than a year.

These two summer finals at major tournaments are almost unreal. Since 2019, Paolini's records at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon have been 2-4 and 0-3 respectively. In 2024, they were 6-1, each time.

In 12 months, she approaches $6 million in prize money, almost tripling her career earnings to nearly $8.5 million.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. It turns out that the energy bombshell also makes a name for herself in doubles.

Not only did Paolini compile a 34-15 doubles record, but she also won four titles to climb to 10th place in the world rankings, with the added bonus of a French Open final in the company of her constant companion and compatriot, Sara Errani.

Photo - China Open

As if that wasn't enough, together, the “Atom Ants” went on to win the Olympic gold medal in Paris before picking up two victories in as many matches to help Italy conquer the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga.

Photo - Reuters

At the WTA finals in Riyadh, she was the only woman to play both events.

With such a bouquet of achievements, it's hard not to want to name Jasmine the Flower of the Year.

Photo - AP