Jasmine Paolini, what’s going on? Tears on the court after bitter defeat

Jasmine Paolini is experiencing her most difficult moment in years. The Italian number one was immediately eliminated from the tournament in Stuttgart, and she did not hide her disappointment and discouragement on the court for yet another defeat in a year that is struggling to take off for her.

The Tuscan champion was heavily beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Turkish Zeynep Sonmez, in a match with no history, and certified the crisis that has been gripping her for months. Jasmine offered a very negative test with the world number 79, losing her serve in the first game and committing several errors, especially with her backhand, which allowed her opponent to win easily.

The Azzurra seemed to be struggling mentally, and she never managed to get into the match against Sonmez, at the first prestigious victory with a Top 10 player in her career. During and after the match, Paolini had moments of great frustration, and at the end of the first set lost 6-2 even tears came from her helplessness on court.

Last season Paolini had exited in the semifinals against Aryna Sabalenka: the premature exit is likely to cost the Azzurra dearly, who currently occupies the seventh position in the rankings but risks slipping to ninth place at the beginning of next week.

The year 2026 has not smiled so far at the singles level for our tennis player: in Miami she exited in the second round, in Indian Wells in the round of 16, in Merida she had bowed to Bucsa in the semifinals, while in Dubai she had exited immediately in her debut against Alex Eala. Out in the first round in Qatar as well, while at the Australian Open earlier this year she had not gone beyond the third round, where she was bowed out by the U.S. Jovic.