AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2026

Jasmine Paolini

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Jasmine, welcome back to Melbourne. Talk about your preparation ahead of the Australian Open.

JASMINE PAOLINI: First of all, it's great to be back in Melbourne. I really like this slam. I really like to be in Australia.

Yeah, we are here. We're ready one week, I think, from the United Cup, and we are enjoying Melbourne and trying to prepare as better as possible the tournament. We'll see. Hopefully it's going to be a great tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Happy belated birthday.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Thank you.

Q. Did you do anything fun to celebrate?

JASMINE PAOLINI: We lost against Switzerland (laughing). But no, it was great to share those ten days with the team. We really enjoy being together. We played many games. My birthday could be better because we lost, but yeah, outside the court was really nice competition.

Q. Talking about your singles matches in Perth, I know it's early into the year, and you had just come off an offseason kind of, but what did you learn from those matches that you wanted to fix in the gap between Perth and now?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yes, we'll start that match. Belinda was playing great. You know, it's never easy to play a match after a month or maybe more. I think maybe more, so it was really tough. She played a great tournament. Unbelievable the level she had in the United Cup, but the level she's having in the last year after having a baby.

But yeah, after that we try to speak about what happened in the match. Of course, what you can do better. I'm glad that I play another match after that.

Here I said yes to the exhibition match for charity against Rybakina, because I think it was a great chance to play again before the slam.

Q. Just kind of talking a little bit more about that match playing Rybakina. She won the finals obviously in Riyadh. How good was that as a preparation and how do you feel about it heading into this week?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, it's good, because you play a match on Rod Laver. It's a court that hopefully I will play there.

But it's not easy to play there. You have to be in matches. To share the court with Elena, it's great. One of the best players in the world, playing amazing in the last couple of months. Maybe three, because there was the offseason.

It's good I think, how to say, it's a good moment to understand where you are and if your level is good or not. I have to say I was pretty happy about that. I lost, but better than Ningbo. I played better than Ningbo. It was only an exhibition, but it's great.

Q. I know you can't control this in the tour calendar, but where the Australian Open falls in the calendar, after coming off an offseason, does that make it a little more difficult to prep for since you're not playing frequently? With the rest, do you like having the Australian Open early in the calendar year?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. Me personally, I like to play matches, so I choose the United Cup also for that. We play two matches. Didn't went well, but at least I played two matches.

Yeah, and honestly I prefer when I have more matches under my belt. But it's okay. It's like this for everybody. It's okay.

Q. What were your thoughts on the 1 Point Slam and your overall experience in it?

JASMINE PAOLINI: It was great, guys. Great, great event. For me it was a great idea, and it's unbelievable that won an amateur.

It was so great, because for the first edition, it's something great. Honestly, if they told me that before the amateur would win, I would say, no, impossible. But it happens.

I think it's so good. It's good to have also one serve for us professionals, because you are shaking a little bit. You don't know how the other one is going to play, because if you play too slow trying to put the ball in, the other one can attack you, and you lost a point.

To me live honestly was an amazing event to be in the stadium. I don't know, as I said, on the TV if it was too slow or what, but onsite, one of the best I ever seen.