The 2024 WTA season has drawn to a close. One standout this year has been Jasmine Paolini. Currently holding the No. 4 ranking in the WTA, the Italian tennis player secured a title in Dubai in singles. Then, she went on to compete at Grand Slam, like Wimbledon and the French Open and WTA Finals, both in singles and doubles. She won Olympic gold in the women’s doubles alongside her partner, Sara Errani. Now, it’s time for the WTA Awards. How can one overlook her history-making win at the Billie Jean King Cup?

On November 20th, Paolini played a crucial role in helping Italy clinch the BJK Cup title for the first time since 2013. In Malaga, she and Lucia Bronzetti delivered straight-set victories against Slovakia. Bronzetti kicked things off with a solid win over Viktoria Hruncakova, 6-2, 6-4. Then, Paolini sealed the championship by defeating Rebecca Sramkova 6-2, 6-1 in just 65 minutes, showcasing her remarkable form throughout the tournament. Paolini’s achievements have not gone unnoticed.

On Sunday, Rennae Stubbs, former coach of tennis legend Serena Williams, tweeted her pick for the Most Improved WTA Player of the year. The options included Emma Raducanu, Jasmine Paolini, Emma Navarro, and Diana Shnaider. Stubbs responded simply with “Jasmine” as her choice. Paolini qualified for her first WTA Finals, a historic achievement for an Italian woman in a decade. Broke into the Top 10 and finished the year as World No. 4.

However, Emma Navarro also had a strong season: Semifinals at Auckland, Hobart, San Diego, Bad Homburg, Toronto, Monterrey, and the US Open; Quarterfinals at Indian Wells and Wimbledon; First Top 3 wins over Gauff (at the US Open and Wimbledon) and Sabalenka (at Indian Wells); Ranked No. 31 at the start, finished the year as World No. 8, making her Top 10 debut.

Paolini’s impressive rise continues to capture attention. With her doubles ranking at No. 10 and her leadership in Italy’s recent victory, she promises to be a force in the upcoming 2025 season. As she wraps up this remarkable year, Paolini is ready for a well-deserved vacation while reflecting on her achievements amidst ongoing discussions about WTA nominations.

Paolini focused on having a good time off the court despite nomination controversy

After an exceptional season, Jasmine Paolini is taking some well-deserved time off in the Maldives. In a fun Instagram post, she shared a reel of herself diving into the sea, captioned, “Sliding into the vacation like…. 😂🐬” at Siyam World Maldives. However, while the Italian star enjoys her vacation, a controversy is brewing over the WTA nominations.

The organization recently announced its nominations for various categories, including Player of the Year and Doubles Team of the Year, both of which feature Paolini. Surprisingly, she was not nominated for Most Improved Player of the Year, a category that includes Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro, Anna Kalinskaya, Diana Shnaider, and Marta Kostyuk. Given her remarkable rise from World No. 30 at the end of 2023 to World No. 4 by the end of 2024, many are questioning this oversight.

In addition to her singles success, Paolini also made significant strides in doubles, climbing from World No. 97 to No. 9 in just one year. This impressive progress has left fans and analysts puzzled about her exclusion from the Most Improved category. Will this controversy impact her performance in the upcoming season? Only time will tell as she prepares to return to the courts after her rejuvenating getaway.