Andy Roddick was full of praise for Italian tennis player Jasmine Paolini in the latest edition of his podcast, “Served.” The former US Open champion was amazed by Paolini’s evolution this season, ranking among the best 5 in the world at 28 years old.
The former number 1 credited Enzo Furlan, Paolini’s coach since 2020, as a key figure in his rise to world number 4. Furlan, recently named WTA Coach of the Year, also received praise from Roddick.
Paolini’s surprising temporada 2024
On the latest episode of Served with Roddick, the former world No. 1 celebrated Paolini’s outstanding season, which included her first WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, runners-up finishes at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and a gold medal in Olympic doubles in Paris 2024 with his compatriot Sara Errani.
“Raise your hand if you have someone on your bingo card who had never finished a year in the top 25, making consecutive finals in a Major and finishing fourth in the world at 28-29 years old, later in his career,” he said. the former US Open champion. “What a year for Jasmine Paolini!”
“An injection of life into the world of tennis. I support Renzo Furlan because of what I call the ‘Magnus Norman effect’,” Roddick added. “The Magnus Norman effect takes someone like Stan Wawrinka from 30th in the world to 5th. He has done it repeatedly with multiple players. The progress and improvement he has made is remarkable.”
“I don’t think the world No. 1 should automatically have his coach named Coach of the Year,” Roddick said. “At certain points in their careers, my cat could have coached Roger Federer to world No. 1. But don’t take anything away from Jasmine Paolini: what a story she’s been in 2024.”
“I don’t care what he does in 2025; I don’t even want to go there. Nobody expected it. It’s the biggest surprise of the whole year in terms of his position in the standings, and I’m here for it. I’ve loved seeing it this year “he concluded.
The Italian will now play in the United Cup, teaming up with Flavio Cobolli, with the aim of winning another title for Europe. The region recently triumphed in both the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. Paolini will debut against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic on December 29.
2024-12-27 06:33:00