Jasmine Paolini delivered one of her standout performances to date, finally getting the better of Iga Swiatek after six previous defeats.
Paolini’s strong play has carried over from the Billie Jean King Cup into the WTA Tour’s Asian swing, and she was in top form again against the World No. 2.
Despite losing all six of their previous meetings, this time it was different – the Italian star dropped just three games on her way to a convincing win.
It was a display that also saw her break a Coco Gauff record at the Wuhan Open, highlighting just how well she played.
Jasmine Paolini sees off Iga Swiatek with just three unforced errors
Paolini was clinical against Swiatek, barely putting a foot wrong on her way to the semi-finals.
She finished the match with just three unforced errors, completely controlling play against the 2025 Wimbledon champion.
Her accuracy set a new mark for fewest errors in a match this season, beating Gauff’s previous record.
It was also against Swiatek that Gauff notably set a record for unforced errors in 2025, which suggests that players elevate their performance when facing the Polish star.
Back at the Madrid Open, the American limited herself to eight mistakes during a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Swiatek on clay.
Jasmine Paolini reaches Wuhan Open semi-final, joins exclusive list
Paolini has established herself as a top-10 player this season, and some of her strongest performances have come at WTA 1000 events.
This is her fourth semi-final appearance at that level in 2025, making her the third-oldest player to reach that milestone for the first time.
The World No. 8 joins a short list that includes only Serena Williams and Li Na ahead of her.
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This year, Paolini has already reached the final of the Cincinnati Open and claimed the title at the Italian Open.
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