Jasmine Paolini came into Wimbledon with high hopes. Why wouldn’t she? Last year, she was the runner-up here. Barbora Krejčíková took the crown after a 1-hour and 56-minute battle that ended 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in Barbora’s favor. But Jasmine bounced back. She won Gold at the Paris Olympics doubles last year with Sara Errani. This year, the duo clinched the French Open doubles title too! However, history didn’t quite repeat itself for her singles Wimbledon campaign this year.
On Wednesday, Kamilla Rakhimova ended the run of the Italian fourth seed in the second round. Paolini had entered the match riding high after a comeback win over Anastasija Sevastova in Round 1, where she recovered from dropping the first set. But today’s loss hit her hard. In the post-match press conference, she confessed, “It was a tough one. I’m still thinking about the 2nd set. I could do much better. She played a great match. But honestly I could play better.”
So, what might have changed the outcome? Paolini pointed to fatigue. “I feel a little bit tired right now. It’s tough to accept. It was two intense months before here. Maybe I could skip the first tournament after Roland Garros to rest a little bit. Doesn’t make sense to talk about these kind of things now,” she reflected.
Paolini says her loss to Rakhimova at Wimbledon is tough to accept
Jasmine: “It was a tough one. I’m still thinking about the 2nd set. I could do much better. She played a great match. But honestly I could play better. Especially mentally to stay there a bit more. More focused.… pic.twitter.com/r6YaRDq8Mm
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 2, 2025
The match was tense to the very end. Trailing 4-5, 0-40, Paolini showed incredible grit by saving three match points. But the fourth proved too much, and Rakhimova secured her first-ever Round 3 appearance at a grass-court major. “I was hoping today to extend on court and try to focus every point. But as I said before, my attention was going up and down,” Paolini admitted. It’s a bitter defeat for the Italian.
With Jasmine Paolini’s departure, Aryna Sabalenka remains the sole player among the top five seeds still standing in the women’s draw. But her Wimbledon journey isn’t over yet. She’s got the doubles tournament coming up tomorrow! Will she and Sara Errani showcase their prowess again? Only time will tell!
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