Jasmine Paolini is heading into the new year with an overhauled coaching team, a significant shift for the Italian player who worked with several different coaches during 2025. After trying multiple approaches over the past season, Paolini has now finalized a new technical setup heading into 2026. Her coaching staff has already started outlining their strategy for how the World No. 6 will tackle the challenges ahead in the coming season.
Jasmine Paolini’s Coach Gives Insights From Her Training Focused on Countering Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova
Paolini is currently based in Valencia for her preseason work, where she has spent roughly three weeks training on hard courts with her new coaching team. Hard court preparation gives her a chance to work on the technical side of her game, while she is also putting in clay court sessions to stay sharp on all surfaces.
The changes to Paolini’s coaching staff mark an important shift in how she approaches her game. Danilo Pizzorno, who previously worked with Russian player Liudmila Samsonova and helped her reach a ranking of No. 12, has taken on the role of head coach. Pizzorno spent years at the Piatti Tennis Academy and has experience as a video analyst, bringing different perspectives to her development.
Sara Errani, Paolini’s longtime doubles partner, is also joining the coaching team to work specifically on tactics. The two have had tremendous success together in doubles, winning the 2024 Olympic gold medal and the 2025 Roland-Garros women’s doubles title.
Pizzorno has wasted no time implementing changes during the preseason training. “In these weeks of work, we’ve focused on her serve, her return, and variations in rhythm,” Pizzorno told Ubitennis. The coach explained that working on these rhythm changes will be particularly useful when Paolini plays against opponents who hit with a lot of power and aggression, “a tool that could be very useful against players with very heavy balls like Sabalenka and Anisimova.”
Beyond just technique, Pizzorno also emphasized the mental side of the game. “It will be essential to always keep her focused on motivation and improvement,” he said.
So the coaching team is combining work on her technique with keeping her mentally sharp and driven. The goal is to build her game gradually while keeping what works well and adding new elements to her play.
Paolini’s Performance in the 2025 Season
Paolini’s 2025 campaign showed both her strengths and weaknesses. The Italian finished with a 34-12 record, winning the Italian Open in Rome, where she beat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2, becoming the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the singles title. She also swept both singles and doubles at Rome with Errani, the first player since Monica Seles in 1990 to achieve that at a WTA 1000 event. Paolini reached the Cincinnati final but lost to Iga Świątek 7-5, 6-4.
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However, the Grand Slams brought disappointment for the Italian. She lost in the third round at the Australian Open to Elina Svitolina, reached the fourth round at Roland-Garros only to lose to Svitolina again, and fell in the second round at Wimbledon. This was a significant step back from 2024, when she reached consecutive Grand Slam finals. On the positive side, she won her first Grand Slam doubles title at Roland-Garros with Errani.
The specific opponents Pizzorno mentioned highlight Paolini’s biggest challenges. Sabalenka beat her thrice in 2025, including a dominant 6-3, 6-1 victory at the WTA Finals. Anisimova also holds a 2-0 record against Paolini after winning at the China Open QF 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4.
Both players hit with considerable power, explaining why Pizzorno is targeting serve, return, and rhythm improvements for 2026.
