Jasmine Paolini persevered through a grueling match against Donna Vekic to secure her spot in the Wimbledon women’s final. The semifinal, which lasted a record 2 hours and 51 minutes, saw Paolini come back from numerous deficits, including being two games from defeat in each of the last two sets and trailing twice by a break in the third.
Throughout the match, Paolini maintained her focus with the mantra: “Try, point by point” and “Fight for every ball.”
Having never won a match at Wimbledon until this year, Paolini’s 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) victory over the unseeded Vekic marks a significant milestone. This win propels her into her second consecutive Grand Slam final, where she will face No. 31 Barbora Krejcikova.
“This match,” said the No. 7-seeded Paolini, “I will remember forever.”
In the second semifinal, Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, overcame 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Krejcikova managed to recover from a 4-0 deficit in the first set, taking the second set, and breaking Rybakina’s serve to lead 5-3 in the third.
“During the second set, somewhere in the middle, I was getting my momentum,” Krejcikova said. “And when I broke her, I started to be in a zone — and I didn’t want to leave the zone.”
Despite Krejcikova’s performance, it was Paolini and Vekic’s match that captured the most attention. Vekic, making her debut in a Slam semifinal, had more points (118-111), more winners (42-26), and more service breaks (4-3) than Paolini.
“She was hitting winners everywhere,” Paolini said.
However, Paolini remained resilient, converting her third match point when Vekic sent a forehand wide. Paolini’s Wimbledon success follows her runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek at the French Open last month, making her the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season.
“These last months have been crazy for me,” Paolini said with a laugh.
Vekic struggled with physical pain during the match, crying between points and during changeovers, and icing her right forearm. She expressed her distress after the match.
“I thought I was going to die in the third set,” Vekic said. “I didn’t know how I could keep playing.”
Paolini’s recent performance is surprising given her previous Grand Slam record, where she never advanced past the second round until reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open in January. Her career record at Wimbledon was 0-3 until this year.
Krejcikova, from the Czech Republic, has a more established record, having won a Grand Slam and been ranked No. 2 in singles. She is also a seven-time major champion and No. 1 in doubles.
“I have so many beautiful memories, and when I step on the court here, I’m just fighting for every single ball, because I think that’s what she would want me to do,” Krejcikova said, referring to her late mentor Jana Novotna.
Paolini’s never-give-up attitude was evident at 4-all in the second set when she managed to return a lob with her back to the net, leading to a crucial break for the set. Her supporters, including her doubles partner Sara Errani, were visibly elated.
Vekic, having played her fifth three-setter in six matches, showed resilience by leading 3-1 in the final set and 4-3 after a break trade. However, Paolini steadied herself to secure the victory.
“I believed I could win,” Vekic said, “until the end.”
As Paolini looks forward to the final, she acknowledged the physical toll of the match.
“Now I’m going to the ice bath,” Paolini said, “because my legs are a little bit tired.”
