Jasmine Paolini’s incredible prize money statistic highlights her amazing year

Kevin Palmer 02 Nov 2024 11:58 PM

A delighted Jasmine Paolini after her match

Jasmine Paolini started 2024 with total prize money of $2,649,189, but that figure has exploded after her amazing year.

Italy’s Paolini was very much an outsider looking in on the big stories in women’s tennis last January, but she is ending the season winning her opening match at the WTA Finals and looking back on a year that saw her reach two Grand Slam finals.

She may have lost the French Open and Wimbledon finals, but Paolini is living the dream by excelling at the top of the women’s game and she has won a stunning $5,030,798 over the last 10 months to highlight just how remarkable this year has been for the late-blooming 28-year-old.

Paolini also won her first WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai this year and claimed an Olympic gold medal alongside partner Sara Errani at the Paris Games.

Her reward is a place alongside the game’s greats in the WTA Finals, where she is certain to collect another financial windfall after winning her opening match against Elena Rybakina.

The Italian won 7-6 (5) 6-4 to claim victory in one hour and 44 minutes.

Facing Rybakina for the first time since her French Open quarter-final triumph, Paolini broke first to take a 4-2 lead before the world number five clawed her way back into the game.

A tight opening set boiled down to a tiebreaker, where Paolini emerged triumphant and she remained in control during the second set to earn her first career win at the WTA Finals.

“It’s amazing, I’m really happy with the win today,” said Paolini. “Elena was playing amazing and it’s always so tough to play with her. I’m happy to stay in this match and win my first match here at the WTA Finals.

“I served well. I’m happy how I managed to start on the points and I think I played a really solid match.”

With more money set to come her way at the WTA Finals, Paolini is on course to win double the amount of money she earned in her entire career in 2024 alone.

In the other WTA Finals singles match player in Riyhad on Saturday, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka got off to a winning start at the WTA Finals after beating Zheng Qinwen in straight sets.

A dominant display on the opening day of this year’s tournament saw Sabalenka cruise to a 6-3 6-4 victory and extend her winning record against Zheng to five straight matches.

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Both players have previously met this year, with Sabalenka beating the 22-year-old in the Australian Open final in January and she also recorded victory against Zheng on her way to clinching the US Open title.

A close encounter on Saturday saw Sabalenka begin to pull ahead at 3-2 after converting her second break point of the game and she went on to serve out the set.

The second set was tied at 4-4 when the world number one broke Zheng’s serve again and took advantage to seal the match, earning her first win in the Purple Group.

Reflecting on her win, Sabalenka told the WTA website: “I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen.

“It’s always tough matches, tough battles against her, and I’m really, I’m really glad I was able to finish this match in straight sets.”