Jasmine Paolini daydreams but doesn’t forget doubles

“It doesn&#8217t seem real to me. It’s amazing to have this trophy in my hands, I”m so excited. Smiling and incredulous stands Jasmine Paolini with the Cup in her hand savoring her triumph at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. First Italian player able to impose herself in the home tournament thanks to a two-set victory over the American Coco Gauff. “Congratulations to you Coco for this final, keep it up you and your team, good luck for the coming weeks”.

With the protocol over, room for thanks. And there’s for everyone: “A thank you to my team and my family, my friends who always support me, it&#8217s thanks to them that we have this cup in our hands today. Thank you to those who organized this tournament, to Fitp who always support us, the volunteers, the referees, the ball catchers, the public who have been special, the doctors, Dr. Parra who always supports me, they are always with us, it is a behind-the-scenes job that really weighs a lot”.

And then it is just and still emotion. Overwhelming, that you cannot say or describe but only savor. Smiling, as always, without forgetting where you started from and the’last step that is still missing to make this edition of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia truly unforgettable: “I do not know what else to say, it is a dream to be here. I came as a child to watch this tournament and to think one day that I could lift this cup was not even in my dreams. Thank you for supporting President Mattarella, at the end of last year we went to the Quirinal and this time we managed to bring him to the Foro Italico. It has been a dream two weeks, it is not over yet, tomorrow we have the doubles, I am not forgetting, we have to stay focused and I hope you will come a little bit earlier to see the doubles final because we need you”.

Beforehand, however, it was Coco Gauff, beaten but not defeated, who paid tribute to her for her success: “I am happy to have made it to the final in Rome and I am happy for you Jas for your victory – began the former US Open champion – You are a wonderful person. It’s always tough to face you and I hope you can bring home the trophy tomorrow in doubles as well. I will bring home this cup and I know how much work we have done to get it. It will be for next time”.