Jasmine Paolini's incredible prize money stats highlight her stellar year

Jasmine Paolini started 2024 with a total prize pool of $2,649,189, but that figure has skyrocketed after her stellar year.

Italy’s Paolini was an outsider watching the big stories in women’s tennis last January, but she ends the season by winning her opening match at the WTA Finals and looks back on a year in which she reached two Grand Slam finals .

She may have lost the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, but Paolini is living her dream by excelling at the top of the women’s game and she has won a whopping $5,030,798 in the last ten months to highlight just how remarkable this year has been for the late women. -thriving 28 year old.

Paolini also won her first WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai this year and claimed an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games with partner Sara Errani.

Her reward is a place alongside the game’s greats in the WTA Finals, where she will surely receive another financial windfall after winning her opening match against Elena Rybakina.

The Italian won 7-6 (5) 6-4, claiming victory in one hour and 44 minutes.

Facing Rybakina for the first time since her French Open quarterfinal triumph, Paolini broke first to take a 4–2 lead before the world number five clawed her way back into the match.

A tight opening set came down to a tiebreak, with Paolini victorious and she remained in control during the second set to earn her first career victory at the WTA Finals.

“It’s great, I’m very happy with the win today,” said Paolini. “Elena played great and it’s always so hard to play with her. I’m happy to stay in this match and win my first match here at the WTA Finals.

“I served well. I’m glad I started on the points and I think I played a very solid game.”

With more money coming her way at the WTA Finals, Paolini is on course to win double the amount of money she has earned in her entire career in 2024 alone.

In the other WTA Finals match in Riyhad on Saturday, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka got off to a winning start at the WTA Finals after beating Zheng Qinwen in straight sets.

In a dominant performance on the opening day of this year’s tournament, Sabalenka recorded a 6-3 6-4 victory to extend her winning record against Zheng to five consecutive matches.

Even more tennis news

WTA Finals will be the most lucrative event in women’s tennis – what is there to win?

Aryna Sabalenka beats Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff to WTA Finals title? Our predictions

Both players met previously this year, with Sabalenka beating the 22-year-old in the Australian Open final in January and also recording victory against Zheng on her way to capturing the US Open title.

In a tense encounter on Saturday, Sabalenka moved to 3-2 after converting her second break point of the match before serving out the set.

The second set was tied at 4-4 when the world number one broke Zheng’s serve again and took advantage to seal the match, earning her first win in the Purple Group.

Reflecting on her win, Sabalenka told the WTA website: “I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen.

“It’s always tough matches, tough battles against her, and I’m really happy that I was able to finish this match in straight sets.”