By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday December 11, 2024
2024 was a banner yr for Italian tennis – once more. And on the ladies’s facet no Italian’s star shone brighter than Jasmine Paolini, who broke out in an enormous manner, reaching two main finals and rising to a career-high rating of No.4 within the WTA rankings.
Paolini, who additionally gained a gold medal on the Paris Olympics in girls’s doubles alongside Sara Errani, completed final yr at No.30 within the rankings, however stormed onto the scene this yr, making her High 20, High 10 and High 5 debuts.
Due to Paolini’s grand success her coach, Renzo Furlan, has been named the WTA’s coach of the yr for 2024.
The award was voted on by WTA coaches. Initiated in 2018, the award had by no means been gained by an Italian earlier than. Earlier winners had been:
2018: Sascha Bajin (Naomi Osaka)
2019: Craig Tyzzer (Ash Barty)
2020: Piotr Sierzutowski (Iga Swiatek)
2021: Conchita Martinez (Garbine Muguruza)
2022: David Witt (Jessica Pegula)
2023: Tomasz Wiktorowski (Iga Swiatek)
Furlan, a former World No.19. He first labored with Paolini in 2015, however turned her full-time coach in 2020.