Jasmine Paolini Adds ATP Player to Coaching Team Ahead of US Open Push
So, here's an interesting update from the world of tennis—Jasmine Paolini, currently ranked No. 9 in the world, has made a bit of a surprising coaching move just as the North American hardcourt season kicks off. After a whirlwind year that’s already seen her reach the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon, Paolini is clearly determined to fine-tune her game ahead of the US Open. And this time, she’s turning to someone unexpected: active ATP player Federico Gaio.
Now, Gaio isn’t a household name in the tennis world, but he’s had a solid run on the ATP Challenger Tour and even broke into the top 130 at one point. He’s not officially retired—he just hasn’t played since 2024—but now he’s stepping into a coaching role with Paolini for at least the next few tournaments, including Montreal, Cincinnati, and the US Open. So, while this might not be a permanent arrangement just yet, it’s definitely a unique choice.
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What makes this even more notable is that Paolini has already gone through some big coaching changes this year. She parted ways with her long-time coach Renzo Furlan back in March—this was the same coach who helped guide her to those two Grand Slam finals. After that, she teamed up briefly with Marc Lopez, the former doubles partner of Rafael Nadal, and won the Rome Open under his guidance. But that partnership ended shortly after Roland Garros.
In a recent press conference in Montreal, Paolini talked a bit about her decision, saying she’s “looking around” and trying to find the right setup. Gaio will be with her for now, but she’s keeping options open for the longer term.
She also gave a quick health update, mentioning that her knee—which had been bothering her—feels better. That’s good news because she had to withdraw from the Hopman Cup recently and exited early at Wimbledon. So Montreal will be her first tournament back, and she’s not defending any points here since she didn’t play in Canada last year. That’s a golden opportunity to rack up some much-needed points and keep her place in the top 10 solid heading into the season-ending WTA Finals.
Her first match in Montreal? She’s up against Japan’s Aoi Ito, a 21-year-old qualifier who just earned her first WTA 1000 main draw win. It should be a good test for Paolini, both physically and mentally, especially as she adjusts to having Gaio in her corner. Whether this new coaching relationship becomes something long-term remains to be seen, but it's definitely a storyline worth following as we inch closer to the US Open.
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