Paolini and Errani’s partnership continues to reshape Italian tennis
How the partnership took shape
When Sara Errani approached Jasmine Paolini with the idea of teaming up for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the plan was modest. Errani, who had already won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles earlier in her career, saw an opportunity for Italy to contend in an event that often receives less attention in tennis compared to the professional tour. Paolini told SuperTennis that she agreed immediately, recalling, “The Olympics are a bit forgotten in tennis, but when she asked me to play doubles to try to qualify, I said ‘okay’.”
For readers unfamiliar with the sport, Olympic tennis occurs only once every four years and does not award ranking points. Yet a medal carries enormous symbolic value for athletes and nations, making the victory stand apart from regular tour results. Paolini later explained that the significance only fully sank in after the event ended, saying, “When we won the medal, I understood its value in that moment. It’s totally different, it involves more people and more countries,” according to SuperTennis.
The success also changed Errani’s own expectations. Approaching her late thirties and no longer competing regularly in singles, she admitted that the achievement led her to extend her career longer than planned. “We’re still here, playing. I said I would retire if I won a medal, but we’re doing so well that it’s hard to stop,” she said in the same interview.
Major results and their growing reputation
Italy’s gold medal in Paris marked the country’s first Olympic tennis title in doubles, according to the International Tennis Federation. It also completed Errani’s career Golden Slam in women’s doubles, meaning she now owns all four Grand Slam titles along with an Olympic gold. The accomplishment propelled the pair into the 2025 season with renewed confidence.
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Their momentum carried into key tournaments, including a triumph at Roland Garros, one of tennis’s four Grand Slam events. Later that year they lifted another trophy at the WTA 1000 event in Rome, tournaments that sit just below the majors in prestige and difficulty.
Paolini described the emotional meaning of playing in the Italian capital, noting, “One of the biggest victories of my life, because it’s Rome, the tournament I used to go to as a kid asking for autographs.” Errani, according to SuperTennis, added that certain conditions at events like Rome, Doha and Beijing tend to suit their playing style, helping them maintain consistent performances.
Development and tactical understanding
Paolini’s rise in singles has also shaped the partnership. She has finished two seasons inside the world’s top ten and reached several major finals, achievements that have expanded both her confidence and her tactical awareness. As she explained to SuperTennis, “In the last three years, I’ve grown as a player and as a person, I have clearer ideas on court. I always try to move forward and forgive myself. Tennis forgets quickly.”
Her support team will shift slightly in 2026. Paolini confirmed that Errani will join her coaching staff to assist with tactical preparation, alongside coach Danilo Pizzorno. “I’ll have two people this year, Danilo Pizzorno and her, who will take care of the tactical part, which is on another level,” she said.
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A partnership that keeps evolving
Despite her new role as a tactical adviser, Errani has not stepped away from competition. According to SuperTennis, the two will reunite early in the upcoming season at the United Cup, a national team event that combines men’s and women’s matches. Paolini will lead Italy in singles while Errani is set to participate in mixed doubles if selected, partnering Andrea Vavassori, with whom she has previously won three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.
Their continued collaboration reflects something rare in professional tennis, a sport where partnerships often shift quickly. Instead of fading after their Olympic goal was met, Paolini and Errani have used that breakthrough as a foundation, blending experience, adaptability and renewed ambition. For Italian tennis, their partnership has become both a source of pride and a model for how unexpected alliances can shape a new competitive era.
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