Page 124 - PROTAGONIST 136

When opposites complement each other, no obstacle is too tortellini (she blamed a contaminated dish for testing positive
high. The perfect example of this, on and off the tennis court, to Letrozole) that ended in her acquittal after a short suspen-
goes by the names Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini: two tennis sion. In short, she had to rebuild the final steps of a career in-
generations, face to face, which ended up becoming one. Sara is cluding a Roland Garros final in the singles tournament. Jas-
38, she was born in Bologna but grew up in the Romagna area. mine’s smile looked like the right starting point. “Truth be told,
Jasmine is 9 years younger, her mother is Polish, with Ghanaian when she asked me, I had no intention to accept,” stated Jas-
origins, and her father is Tuscan. mine. Paolini’s was a whole different world. She was an eternal
The two couldn’t come from more distant worlds. If, on top promise that just wouldn’t break out. In the end, she decided
of this, you add that their personalities are completely differ- to try. Perhaps, Errani’s experience would give her the missing
ent, perhaps you will start to understand the secret behind their ingredient. So it went. The two parallel roads met. Errani-Pao-
success. One that, like always, comes by chance. lini has become, in time, almost a slogan, especially after their
“Do you want to play with me?” was the question asked win in the 2025 Paris Olympics (that, in Sara’s career, means a
at the right time, in 2022. Sara Errani was left alone, after a Career Golden Slam), Rome (2024, 2025), and the Roland Gar-
sporting divorce from Roberta Vinci – with whom she had won ros (2025). The doubles games have become somewhat of a
every tournament in the Grand Slam – and a story of doping and propeller for the singles’ too. There is something more indeed:

medal ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros
Gold medallists Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini celebrate during the

122 on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. ©Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images Sport Protagonist