Jasmine Paolini suffered an injury in her Dubai round-of-16 match and was left in pain and tears before seeing her title defense end.
After beating Eva Lys in her opening match on Tuesday, the No. 4 seed met 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin today.
And after the American won the first set with a 6-4 scoreline, the Italian badly twisted her ankle in the first game of the second set.
Paolini instantly collapsed on the court and she was evidently in some major pain and discomfort.
Jasmine Paolini injured herself in her match against Sofia Kenin in Dubai.
She was in tears, but continued to fight til the end.
Heartbreaking finish for the defending champion.
Hopefully we see her back on court very soon.
🇮🇹❤️🩹🙏
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 19, 2025
After getting a medical intervention, the 29-year-old decided to continue the match.
While the Italian clearly struggled after the injury and she wasn’t anywhere near her best, she refused to retire the match.
That resulted in Kenin completing a 6-4 6-0 win and setting a quarterfinal against the winner of the match between Elena Rybakina and Paula Badosa.
A heartbreaking end to Paolini’s Dubai campaign
For the Italian, it all started in Dubai last year when she lifted her first WTA 1000 title there.
After that result, she also went on to make two Grand Slam finals and break into the top-10 for the first time in her career.
Before the start of her Dubai title defense, Paolini downplayed her expectations as she claimed this year was a completely different story.
But there was no doubt that she wanted to do well again in a tournament that is certainly one of the most special places for her.
Now, the hope remains that it isn’t anything too serious and that the world No. 4 will be able to return to action during the Sunshine Double and play in Indian Wells and Miami.
Tennis World USA