Is Jasmine Paolini Polish? All you need to know about the French Open 2024 finalist's unique heritage

Jasmine Paolini has taken the French Open by storm as the Italian marched her way into her first-ever Grand Slam final. The 28-year-old had shown glimpses of her talent in 2023, however, the 2024 season has announced her to the tennis world.

Paolini is set to take on the World No. 1, Iga Swiatek in the final of Roland Garros. The Pole has won the title 3 times in the last 4 years, aiming for a historic three-peat in Paris.

Swiatek has become a household name in Poland due to her brilliance on-court. Her opponent Jasmine Paolini has Polish roots too but decided to represent Italy on the international stage.

Jasmine Paolini and her Polish heritage

Jasmine Paolini's father is Italian and her mother is of Ghanaian, Danish and Polish descent. Paolini was born in di Garfagnana, Italy, and decided to represent Italy over the other countries. Like her mother, Paolini's grandmother is also of Polish descent and lives in Łódź, Poland.

Despite Paolini's claim that she is still learning the language, the 28-year-old is quite well-versed and could converse in Polish.

When asked about her fluency in Polish, the Italian admitted that she is a bit shy because she rarely speaks the language, but knows enough to communicate with people.

“I try to speak in Polish, but it’s not easy, I’m a little bit shy because I’m not feeling really confident in it…. So, yeah, I try to speak Polish, but it’s not easy for me," Jasmine Paolini said.

Paolini participated at the Warsaw Open in 2022, playing in Poland for the first time in her career. The Italian was asked about her ancestry during the tournament and she was more than happy to talk about her Polish heritage.

“I’m very happy to be here, it’s the first time I’m playing in a tournament in Poland. My grandmother lives in Łódź, my mother was born here and came to Italy at the age of 20, 23 I think. The last time I was here was in November, but the time before was like fifteen years ago,” Jasmine Paolini said while competing at the BNP Paribas Open in Warsaw in 2022

With Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek set to go head-to-head at the French Open final in 2024, the stage is set for an all-Polish-speaking final at Roland Garros.