Jasmine Paolini is through to her second WTA 1000 final of the year.
After securing the Italian Open title in May, the Italian star will be hoping to secure her second WTA 1000 title of the year when she faces Iga Swiatek in the Cincinnati Open final.
Paolini was made to work hard for her semi-final victory, but she eventually came through the contest, winning 6-3 6-7 6-3 against Veronika Kudermetova.
Paolini, who defeated Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, will hope to carry this strong form into her contest against Swiatek, who has only lost one of her last 15 matches.
By defeating Kudermetova, Paolini made history for her country,
Jasmine Paolini eclipses Sara Errani’s record
Jasmine Paolini’s victory over Veronika Kudermetova broke new ground for Italian tennis, catapulting the 28-year-old past her doubles partner, Sara Errani.
Paolini and Errani have partnered each other since 2021, winning Olympic Gold in 2024 and the 2025 French Open.
As per OptaAce, since the Tier1/WTA-1000 format was introduced in 1990, Jasmine Paolini is the Italian with the most wins in such events during a single season, beating out compatriot Sara Errani.
Errani won 19 WTA 1000 matches in 2023. Paolini has eclipsed this total by winning 20 in 2025.
Paolini will have the opportunity to extend this streak against Swiatek on Monday, before embarking on her US Open campaign.
The 28-year-old will have to perform at her best against Swiatek, a player she has struggled against in the past.
Jasmine Paolini has failed to beat Iga Swiatek in five attempts
Jasmine Paolini has suffered a torrid time against Iga Swiatek during her career.
The pair first contested a match at the 2018 Prague Open, with Swiatek winning 6-2 6-1. The Polish star followed this up with another comprehensive victory against Paolini at the 2019 US Open, triumphing 6-3 6-0.
Another straight-sets victory followed for Swiatek in the 2024 French Open final, before Paolini pushed the Pole to three sets at the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals.
Most recently, the pair faced off at the Bad Homburg Open in June, with Swiatek again winning, this time by a scoreline of 6-1 6-3.
After defeating Kudermetova, Paolini spoke about the ‘tough’ time she has had against Swiatek.
