'It's a joke': Italian tennis star crowned world champion after winning Olympic gold can hardly believe her own success

Jasmine Paolini enjoyed the best season of her career in 2024. (Fran Santiago/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

It’s fair to say 2024 has been quite a year for Italian tennis.

And in particular for Jasmine Paolini, who capped the best season of her career by winning the decisive match in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals against Slovakia to secure Italy’s first title in 11 years.

In 2024, Paolini won her first WTA 1000 singles event at the Dubai Tennis Championships, two WTA 1000 doubles titles, Olympic doubles gold and reached three grand slam finals, two in singles and one in doubles.

The 28-year-old’s success has propelled her to a career-high No. 4 in the world in singles, the joint-highest ranking in history for an Italian woman, and a career-high No. 9 in doubles.

“It’s a joke,” Paolini laughed when asked to put her year into words by CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies.

“To finish like that is the perfect ending, so I’m really happy,” she added. “Last year, we lost in the final; this year, we won the title and it’s amazing.

“At the beginning of the tournament, I didn’t think about the title because it’s tough, it’s a long tournament and anything can happen – so today I’m really happy we have this trophy in our hands.”

The Billie Jean King Cup – formerly known as the Fed Cup – is a women’s team event in which competing countries play two singles and a doubles match in best-of-three ties.

The Finals this year ran concurrently alongside the men’s Davis Cup in Málaga, Spain, and Italy reached the final after beating Japan in the quarterfinal and Poland in the semifinal.

Italy eventually beat Slovakia 2-0 in Wednesday’s final thanks to Lucia Bronzetti’s earlier win over Viktória Hrunčáková and then Paolini’s 6-2, 6-1 victory over Rebecca Šramková, putting to bed the heartbreak of last year’s final defeat to Canada.

But given much of Paolini’s success in 2024 has been in doubles, she of course hasn’t done it alone.

By her side on the court has been the calming presence of veteran Sara Errani, who has just completed her 22nd year on tour as a professional.

Very much a doubles specialist, Errani is a former world No. 1 and is part of an exclusive group of women to have completed the career ‘Golden Slam’ in doubles – winning all four grand slams and Olympic gold.

But the 38-year-old has also enjoyed plenty of success on the singles circuit, winning nine titles and reaching the 2012 French Open final, while also climbing as high as No. 5 in the world.

This is the fourth time in her career that Errani has won the BJK Cup – and first in 11 years – and her experience has been invaluable to Italy not only in this competition, but also at the Paris Olympics.

In 2024, Paolini and Errani are undefeated when wearing the blue national team kit of Italy.

“It’s really special,” Errani said of lifting the trophy again. “It’s amazing. It’s been a great week, I’m really proud. We had a lot of fun, we played good tennis. We are so happy.

“This year we didn’t lose with the Italian t-shirt, so it’s been amazing. It’s a dream come true and playing for our country is always really special.

“I give everything – it’s so special. We’re really proud.”