Paolini in awe of Osaka: "I had only seen her on TV, it was incredible to face her"

Adrien Guyot

le 25/03/2025 à 16h23

1 min to read

Miami Osaka Paolini

World No. 7 Jasmine Paolini secured her spot in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 Miami Open on Monday. The Italian staged a comeback against Naomi Osaka (3-6, 6-4, 6-4) and will now face Magda Linette, who defeated Coco Gauff, for a place in the semifinals in Florida.

After her victory over the Japanese player, Paolini reflected on her opponent and expressed her satisfaction at competing in such matches against players who have won multiple Grand Slams.

"Sometimes, I found myself smiling on the court because she played so well on certain points. I had never faced her before and had only seen her on TV—it was incredible to play against her.

But I’d say I’m satisfied because she’s a really tough opponent, and it’s great to play these matches against such players. This is my first quarterfinal of the season—it was about time!

I feel better on the court, and I’m really happy with how I handled the three matches here (against Rebecca Sramkova, Ons Jabeur, and of course Naomi Osaka).

I love the energy from the Miami crowd, the atmosphere is amazing, and there are a lot of Italians here," Paolini told Super Tennis in recent hours.

The Italian has no time to rest and will be back on court this Tuesday against Linette, aiming to reach the semifinals in Miami for the first time in her career.