Jasmine Paolini lands 'Vanity Fair' Italy cover before Roland Garros return

Jasmine Paolini first became a household name with her run to her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros last spring, and the spotlight on the Italian hasn't waned in the 12 months since. But ahead of returning to the site of her first of two Grand Slam breakthroughs from 2024, she was rewarded with a fresh kind of attention: a magazine cover in her native Italy.

Following a historic sweep of the singles and doubles titles on home soil at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, the world No. 4 was featured as the digital cover star on a recent issue of Vanity Fair Italia, coupled with an in-depth Q&A with writer Chiara Oltolini.

The cover features a side-profile shot of Paolini, photographed by Ilaria Magliocchetti Lombi, alongside the caption "La partita della vita," in Italian—a phrase which translates directly to, "the game of life." It's a fitting title for the piece, as Paolini speaks openly on how she's learned from losses, handled criticism, and the off-court impact she seeks to make on the next generation of athletes.

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The last of those is the thing she's chiefly focused on ahead of her Parisian return, where much is different for her than the surprise package she proved to be in 2024.

She's "not thinking too much" about being back as a career-high ranking thanks to her Rome exploits (which also bumped three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek out of the Top 4 seeds).Instead, she says that she is enjoying a role that's come with her expanded platform: as an ambassador for sponsor Dove's Body Confident Sport program, which promotes self-esteem and aims to combat the dropout rate in sports for young girls.

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"When the project was presented to me, I discovered some data that made me sad: one in two girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, leaves sports often because of an uneasy relationship with their appearance," Paolini says. "And those who leave have been criticized by their reference figures, acquaintances, and the media. I immediately felt personally involved, because all of us athletes have gone through difficult moments that have made us more vulnerable to negative comments. This is why I decided to be the bearer of a positive message."

Judged by outsiders for her 5-foot-2 height, Paolini says that she was fortunate to have the unconditional support of those closest to her in her formative years. As "criticism sticks in your mind more than the victories," the 28-year-old says, she wants future stars to be lifted up by their own inner circles in the same way.

"Since I was a teenager I played every day and I was lucky in my path: I met people who did not undermine my self-esteem," Paolini added. "The first people the ... program addresses are in fact the coaches. Who, thanks to specific activities, can be of great support in building a safe environment capable of enhancing the potential of each girl."

Paolini will also (literally) be in a different place when she debuts at Roland Garros this year. Twelve months ago, she started her campaign on Court 7. On Sunday afternoon, she'll walk out onto Court Suzanne Lenglen, Roland Garros' second-biggest court, against China's Yuan Yue to close out the Day 1 slate of play.