Paolini, who had never won a match at Wimbledon before this year, has quickly gained popularity for her enthusiasm, bubbly personality, and incredible shot-making skills. She expressed her joy after the match: “I was serving really bad so I am so happy. This match I will remember forever. I was just trying to think about what to do on the court, point by point, because I was really in difficulty.”
Vekic, who was also struggling with an injury to her lower right arm, was seen in tears at the changeover before the tie-break as the match slipped away from her. “I thought I was going to die in the third set,” Vekic said in the post-match news conference. “I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg. It was not easy out there, but I will recover. I was more crying because I had so much pain, I didn’t know how I could keep playing. My team tells me I can be proud of myself. It’s tough right now. It’s really tough to be positive right now. It was so close.”
Paolini’s win means she will face either Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, or 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in Saturday’s final. Those two players meet in the second semi-final on Thursday. Paolini, who lost in the French Open final in May, is the first woman to reach back-to-back Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals since Serena Williams in 2016. Reflecting on her journey, Paolini said, “I think these last months have been crazy for me. I don’t know, I am just trying to focus on what I have to do on court and enjoying what I am doing. I love playing tennis. It is a dream. I was watching finals when I was a kid at Wimbledon. I am just enjoying it and trying to live in the present.”
The 28-year-old Italian, who had lost all three of her previous matches at Wimbledon, has now created history and has a chance of becoming the first Italian player, male or female, to win a Wimbledon singles title. She has quickly become a fan favorite, with the majority of supporters cheering her on during her match against Vekic. The energy and support from the crowd seemed to lift Paolini, while Vekic struggled against both her opponent and the crowd.
Vekic, who was aiming to reach her first Grand Slam final, stormed through the first set and led 4-3 with a break of serve in the deciding set, needing only two holds of serve for victory. However, Paolini managed to get the match back on serve amid sensational scenes on Centre Court. She failed to convert a match-point chance in the 10th game and then another two games later as the encounter went to a 10-point tie-break. Vekic led 8-7 in the tie-break and was two points from victory, but Paolini, chasing down every ball and unleashing accurate forehand shots, went ahead and kept her nerve to seal the win.
A month ago, Vekic was on the verge of quitting tennis due to a run of injuries. However, she found a golden run of form, which could have rescued her career, and is set to move up 16 places in the rankings. Vekic was aiming to become the second successive unseeded player to win the women’s tournament after Marketa Vondrousova’s victory last year. Despite the heartbreak, Vekic played a full part in a thrilling match that will be remembered for a long time, but it was Paolini who was celebrating at the dramatic end.
