Jasmine Paolini ‘fast because of her Ghanaian roots’ as her father likens her to a ‘train’
Jasmine Paolini is known for her speed around the court and the Italian believes it is due to her Ghanaian heritage so no wonder her father has compared her character to that of a train as “she goes full steam ahead” once she “gets something in her head”.
Standing at just 5ft 4in (1.63), the Italian has enjoyed a rapid rise in 2024 as she won the biggest title of her career in February – the WTA 100 Dubai Tennis Championship – and followed it up with a run to the final of the French Open.
She finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, but just over a month later she finds herself in another Grand Slam final as she is looking to become the first Italian to win Wimbledon after beating Donna Vekic in three sets in the semi-final.
Her father Ugo described what makes her so good.
“There is great happiness, even if for now I haven’t taken it all in. I haven’t yet taken in Paris and then I will think about Wimbledon. But it is a dream,” he told Supertennis.
“We always believed in it, we always supported her. Above all her mother, who always took her everywhere. Her character is like her mother’s – like a train. She has been like this since she was a child. When she gets something in her head, she goes full steam ahead.”
The 28-year-old’s pace has been a key factor to her success and following her French Open run she explained it was down to her roots.
Paolini’s father Ugo is Italian and her mother Jacqueline has “different bloods” as Jasmine puts it. Jacqueline’s mother is Polish while her father is of Ghanaian descent and currently lives in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Following her French Open heroics, she opened up about her roots.
“I always say that for me it’s important, I mean, I’m proud to have different bloods in my body. Of course I’m feeling Italian, you know, I born in Italy, I’m Italian, but that’s I think, an important part of my life.
“My mom, she’s Polish, but, you know, my grandfather is from Ghana. I think I’m fast because of Ghana (smiling). But, you know, also when I was younger, like, 10 years, every summer I was going to Poland. I can speak Polish.
“That’s I think it’s something more, you know, to have in your person. It’s a plus. I don’t know how to say. Something more. So I’m really proud of it, yeah.”
