Italian tennis star Jasmine Paolini concluded a remarkable season by guiding her country to their first women’s Billie Jean King Cup title since 2013.
Paolini defeated Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 6-2, 6-1 on Wednesday, securing a 2-0 victory for Italy in the women’s team final in Malaga, Spain.
Ranked fourth in the world, Paolini had an impressive season, finishing as the runner-up in both the women’s singles at the French Open (Roland Garros) and Wimbledon in June and July. She became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the final of both prestigious tournaments in the same season.
Before 2024, Paulini, aged 28, had been eliminated in either the first or second round in each of her 16 prior appearances at Grand Slam tournaments.
