Jasmine Paolini has revealed that she would cheer on Roger Federer at Wimbledon as a child after losing her final on Centre Court. The Italian was defeated by Barbora Krejcikova in three sets in SW19 but has won the hearts of fans.
Paolini has enjoyed a remarkable year and reached the French Open final, too. She has become a crowd favourite at Wimbledon and was cheered throughout the final.
A tense showdown on Centre Court saw Paolini beaten 6-2 2-6 6-4 by Krejcikova. However, the runner-up has opened up on her pride at being in the final, having previously supported eight-time champion Federer when she was a child.
Asked if she will be back, the 28-year-old beamed: “I hope so. Today I am a little bit sad but I keep smiling. I was looking at the TV as a kid, cheering for Federer I have to say!
“To be here right now, it is crazy. I enjoy every moment and I want to thank everybody who makes this tournament possible.”
She added: “Thank you for coming, to see this stadium full is a dream come true – to play in this stage. I would say congrats to Barbora. You play such beautiful tennis and congrats to your team of course.
“Last two months have been really crazy for me. I want to thank my team and family and everybody up there. Without themIi wouldn’t be here.
“The crowd has been amazing these two weeks, I’ve received a lot of support. Just incredible to feel a lot from them.”
The triumphant Krejcikova paid tribute to Paolini and her team. The Czech star is a new name on the Wimbledon ladies’ singles winners list.
“I would like to congratulate Jasmine and her team,” the 28-year-old said in an emotional on-court speech. “I mean, at the end I was the lucky one but on the other hand, she played the Roland Garros [final] a few weeks ago. It’s amazing what she was able to achieve in such a sport period so big congratulations.”
The 2021 French Open winner joked that nobody in her hometown would believe that she had become the Wimbledon champion: she said: “It’s unreal what just happened. It’s definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life.”
On returning home to Brno in Czechia, Krejcikova continued: “I think nobody really believed it that I got to the final and no one is going to believe that I won Wimbledon.”
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