Jasmine Paolini opened the Roland Garros women’s draw for Italy with a straight-sets win over Dayana Yastremska, advancing 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 40 minutes. The victory was built more on resilience and composure than on flair, as the 13th seed recovered from a difficult start and turned the match around after trailing 3-5 in the first set.
Paolini struggled early against the aggressive style of the Ukrainian, who repeatedly took risks from the baseline and looked dangerous when her shots landed close to the lines. Yastremska’s power initially put Paolini under pressure, but the Italian gradually settled in, using her backhand effectively and benefiting from a growing number of errors from her opponent. At the decisive moment of the opening set, Yastremska tightened up and handed back the break with four unforced errors, allowing Paolini to regain control.
That momentum shift proved decisive. Paolini won seven consecutive games across the end of the first set and the start of the second, seizing a break advantage in a marathon game that lasted 22 points. From there, the match tilted firmly in her favor. The former world No. 4 managed the rest of the contest with discipline, preventing Yastremska from finding the consistent baseline rhythm she needed to mount a comeback.
Played on Court Simonne Mathieu in warm and humid conditions in Paris, the match also drew a solid Italian presence in the stands. While not especially spectacular, Paolini’s performance was efficient and composed, qualities that are often crucial in Grand Slam play. The result sends her into the second round at Roland Garros and extends her impressive run of major consistency.
The win marks Paolini’s 10th consecutive Grand Slam appearance reaching the second round, a streak that began at the 2024 Australian Open. Even more notably, in each of her last nine Major tournaments she has reached at least the third round, underlining the level of consistency she has maintained on the biggest stages of the sport. In Paris, she will next face Argentine Solana Sierra as she continues her campaign at the French Open.
