Jasmine Paolini Makes History with First Miami Open Semifinal Appearance

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jasmine Paolini made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Italian woman to reach the semifinals of the Miami Open tennis tournament. The sixth-seeded Paolini secured her place in the final four after defeating unseeded Magda Linette of Poland with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-2.

This significant victory marks Paolini’s first semifinal appearance at this prestigious event. Notably, she is the first woman to reach this stage of the tournament this year. In prior tournaments, while Italian women have reached the quarterfinals—most recently Martina Trevisan in 2023—they had yet to progress to the semifinals.

“I’m really excited to have made it this far, especially as an Italian,” Paolini said after her match. “It’s a big moment not just for me, but for all Italian women in tennis.”

Paolini’s semifinal opponent will be top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who advanced with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over ninth-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China later on Tuesday. Their match came after a day of delays due to rain, which impacted numerous matches at the venue.

On the other side of the women’s bracket, quarterfinal matches are set for Wednesday, featuring fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States against Britain’s Emma Raducanu and second-seeded Iga Swiatek facing Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.

With her strong performance throughout the tournament, Paolini has gained attention for her powerful baseline game and tactical prowess on the court. Her journey at the Miami Open reflects a year of growth and potential as she continues to challenge higher-ranked opponents. Fans and pundits alike are eager to see how she will handle the pressure of a semifinal matchup against a player of Sabalenka’s caliber.