The US Open's 'one in a million' moment belongs to Jasmine Paolini

A confident debut for Paolini

It's never easy to debut against a qualifier, especially since they come in with several victories and a higher match rhythm on the tournament courts. However, Paolini showed her class from the start—and the great form she has been in over the last few weeks—by easily winning the first set 6-2, though she wasn't yet playing her best tennis. The Italian gave up an early break but then recovered to win six of the next seven games, including three breaks, partly taking advantage of Aiava's consistent unforced errors.

While Paolini seemed to be just warming up in the first set, both players raised their level on serve in the second, giving up few break opportunities. In fact, Aiava got a break on her first chance, and Paolini broke back immediately on hers. From there, neither could put their opponent in trouble on the return, and the set went to a tiebreak. It was there that the two-time major runner-up showed her best tennis and recovered from a 3-4 deficit to win the last four points in a row, securing the victory 6-2, 7-6(4).

Paolini's consistent form puts her in the hunt for the WTA Finals

Paolini has been more than consistent over the last couple of seasons, deservedly establishing herself in the top 10. She has not only reached two Grand Slam finals but also has two WTA 1000 titles (Dubai 2024 and Rome 2025). Although she reached a relatively advanced age without making a big impression on the tour, she stepped up over the last two years and has managed to stay among the best.

Recently, she made a change to her coaching staff, hiring Federico Gaio, which led to some irregular results, such as a second-round loss at Wimbledon and a first-round exit at the Canadian Open.

However, sooner rather than later, Paolini regained her place among the world's best, reaching the final of the Cincinnati Open just a week ago. On her way there, she defeated Maria Sakkari, Ashlyn Krueger, Barbora Krejcikova, Coco Gauff, and Veronika Kudermetova, setting up a final with Iga Swiatek for the second time in her career (the previous one was at the 2024 Roland Garros). The Pole ended up taking the victory, extending their head-to-head record to 6-0, but Paolini earned a good boost of points that keeps her in the top 10 and in direct contention for a spot in the WTA Finals. Her campaign in New York this week will be key for a potential second consecutive qualification for the Finals.