Can Jasmine Paolini replicate Sinner's effect?

There is no doubt that Italian tennis is experiencing a true renaissance. The results achieved on the court by Jannik Sinner and his growing recognition, both in Italy and internationally, have significantly helped to lift the reputation of Italian tennis. It is clear that this has expanded the perception of Italian sports enthusiasts towards the sport and Italian athletes in general, also aided by the recent gold in the long jump at the World Championships in China by the 2005-born Mattia Furlani, as well as the rich medal count obtained at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (12 golds, 13 silvers, and 15 bronzes, for a total of 40 medals, matching the all-time record set at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics), and finally the growing curiosity surrounding the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held in Cortina.

A golden moment unfolding during a period not particularly favorable for Italian football, a situation that deserves to be mentioned, since football is the national sport in Italy, the one that shapes the moods of millions of people week after week. The failure to qualify for two consecutive World Cups, coupled with doubts following the defeat in the Nations League against Germany, only accentuate this situation, which could increase Italians' attention towards other sports. It could, therefore, be the moment for a significant shift in Italian sports, which would lead to a change in the perception of Italian athletes, a path that has also been noticed by brands, both Italian and international, who are starting to recognize the opportunity to find a counterpart to Sinner in women's tennis, with the name Jasmine Paolini emerging as the preferred choice.

The approach of fashion brands to Jasmine Paolini

Born in 1996, Jasmine Paolini is currently ranked sixth in the WTA and is leading Italy at the ATP Miami, alongside the excellent performance of Matteo Berrettini, who has defeated Alex de Minaur and will face Taylor Fritz in a few hours. Last night, Paolini faced Aryna Sabalenka. She is on this path wearing her technical sponsor, ASICS, which for the upcoming summer commitments has planned for her to wear the new collection in collaboration with the French fashion house A.P.C. In addition to Paolini, it will also be worn by de Minaur, Musetti, Goffin—essentially all athletes sponsored by the sportswear brand. Although this is a stylistic choice dictated by the Italian tennis player's technical sponsor, it is, in fact, the second fashion brand with which Paolini has been involved in recent weeks. Before A.P.C., in mid-January, Paolini became the Global Ambassador of Golden Goose. Brands are starting to believe in her a lot, and likely the creation of a scenario where Paolini repeats, as far as possible, what was done between Jannik Sinner and the fashion houses is very probable.

Replicating Sinner's effect with Jasmine Paolini

It is also very plausible that this follows a gradual path: to date, the only partnership linking the two is institutional and with Intesa San Paolo. But it is not to be excluded—on the contrary—that a collaboration equivalent to the one between Jannik Sinner and Gucci might be just around the corner, considering the enormous impact the Italian tennis player is having on the court. With Sinner, we had the opportunity to see how fashion—just like the divisive yet brilliant advertisements in which the South Tyrolean stars for De Cecco, Fastweb, or Lavazza—has the power to evoke emotions in the audience; the same emotions that allowed Sinner to gain the status he has today, a status built not only through excellent results on the court but also through the opportunity to generate emotions, opinions, and reflections in viewers. Why does Sinner attend Gucci fashion shows wearing Nike? Why does he act with such ease, almost appearing indifferent, in commercials for Lavazza and De Cecco, which produce coffee and pasta, two sacred products for Italians?

Jasmine Paolini can also generate emotions in her fans, and fashion brands, aware that they can always act as a sounding board for athletes, will only make this process smoother. Of course, we already know that we cannot expect sinner-like moments from Paolini, but we can still expect a more media-savvy and attention-grabbing Jasmine, if this is indeed necessary to open the eyes of Italian and international sports fans to tennis and sports other than football. For now, to find a fashion campaign featuring an Italian athlete, we must go back to 2019, when Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini posed in underwear for Emporio Armani, and then there was a complete void corresponding to the lack of media presence in women's tennis, which today can once again make its mark thanks to a combination of factors: the difficult period for Italian football, but above all the extraordinary talent and appeal of Jasmine Paolini.