Jasmine Paolini has shown in Rome that she’s no one-year wonder

The first women’s semifinal in Rome on Thursday took off and landed the same way, but with two different players at the controls.

Peyton Stearns piloted the proceedings through the first five games. The American was coming off three straight third-set tiebreaker wins, and her self-belief showed. She was calm, composed, and lighting up the court with forehand winners from all directions—crosscourt, down the line, inside out, inside in. The 23-year-old, 42nd-ranked American, who was in her first 1000-level semifinal, led 4-1.

After Stearns rolled an effortless backhand to go up 0-30 in the next game, commentator and former player Alexandra Dulgheru said—accurately—that she looked like she was in the type of zone where you can’t miss even if you tried.

“Her game is synched,” Dulgheru said, adding that Stearns could “think about donuts” and still be fine.

But as every player past and present knows, those donut-daydreaming zones, as delicious as they may feel in the moment, never last forever.

Stearns’ ended soon after Dulgheru’s comments. She gave back that 0-30 with a couple of forehand errors. She gave away her next service game with a double fault. And she gave away a game point at 5-5 when she tried to switch grips on a short forehand and pushed the ball long.

That was all Paolini and her thousands of supporters needed. The fans did their job by chanting her name louder, and she reciprocated by hitting the ball harder, and better. By the end of the first set, the roles had been reversed. Paolini had shaken off her early nerves and taken command with her forehand, while Stearns had gotten tight and started double faulting and spraying the ball. The winners that flowed so easily from her racquet a few minutes earlier had suddenly dried up.

That’s how it went the rest of the way, as Paolini soared through the second set on the crowd’s wings. In the final games, as her shots flew faster and landed deeper, it looked as if she had entered the zone that Stearns had recently departed, the one where you can’t miss a ball if you try.

“It’s amazing to be in final in Rome, of course,” Paolini said after her 7-5, 6-1 win. “Today was a tough match. At the end I got the win. That’s the most important thing.”

It’s my goal to enjoy also playing tennis. Remember that it’s my sport, it’s my job, but also it’s my passion. Jasmine Paolini

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “there was no loser today.” Maybe it was said after a match that was especially well-played. Or one that featured two people who had gone farther in a draw than they’d ever dreamed.

It’s a nice sentiment, but strictly speaking, it’s never a true one, in tennis or any other sport. Someone always comes up short. No matter how well they may have played, or how many matches they’ve won in previous days, they don’t feel good about it.

That was true again here. While Paolini soaked in the cheers of the home folks, and beamed back her customary wide grin, Stearns spent the last set and a half banging her racquet against her bags, having unpleasant discussions with herself during changeovers and generally lamenting the opportunities she had squandered. The 42nd-ranked Ohio native had indeed come farther than anyone expected in Rome, all the way to her first 1000 semifinal. But for now, she can probably only think about how nice it would have been to go one round farther, and reach her first 1000 final. All of her clutch wins in the previous days couldn’t keep her from falling victim to nerves in this match.

Still, when the red dust settles, and Stearns has a moment to process her defeat, both of these players will likely be pleased with their performances in Rome, and encouraged by what they mean for their seasons. I’d say fans should be happy, too.

The 23-year-old Stearns would, like Paolini was a year ago, be a welcome addition to the sport’s higher tiers. She’s a good athlete and committed competitor, and she has one of the best, most versatile, and most watchable forehands in tennis. Ranked 42nd after a couple years on tour, she hadn’t had the signature breakout performance that signals better things ahead for young players. Now, after beating Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina in third-set tiebreakers in Rome, she has.

While Stearns gave herself a new foothold in Rome, Paolini has reassured any of us who feared she might be a one-year wonder. When her results dipped early this season, it seemed logical to ask if someone 5-foot-3 could really stay among the elite for long.

Now she’s back, darting and sliding from corner to corner, hammering forehands as hard as some of the men, fighting back from early deficits against taller opponents, and reminding us how she reached the Top 5 in the first place. Her full revival couldn’t have come in a better location. On Saturday, Paolini will try to become the first Italian champion in Rome, man or woman, since Rafaella Reggi in 1985.

“I’m trying with my mindset to keep the expectation low because in tennis everything can happen: good things, bad things,” Paolini says of the way she’s approaching 2025. “Try to step out there and give my 100 percent every time. It’s my goal to enjoy also playing tennis. Remember that it’s my sport, it’s my job, but also it’s my passion.”

We’ll see the fruits of that passion on Saturday.