Jasmine is blossoming brightly in Dubai! The 29-year-old Italian tennis star, Jasmine Paolini has got her title defense up and running by securing her sixth straight win at the Dubai Tennis Championships. With this win in the R32, she has now become only the second player since the tournament’s inception (2001) to win six or more consecutive matches after turning 28! Paolini will now face America’s Sofia Kenin in the R16.
Kenin has been in decent form this season and this is her first R16 appearance in Dubai since 2019. Can the American go a step further by clinching a victory against the Italian superstar?
Sofia Kenin vs Jasmine Paolini: Preview
Sofia Kenin has already defeated two higher-ranked opponents in her previous two matches in Dubai. She outclassed Croatia’s Donna Vekic by 7-5,6-3 in the first round and then she defeated Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in a three-set thriller in the second round. It’ll be interesting to see if she keeps her winning momentum going.
Kenin started the 2025 season at the ASB Classic and made it to the R16 there. After that, in Hobart, she managed to make it to the QF. However, she was defeated by her compatriot Coco Gauff in the first round of the 2025 AO. Even at the Abu Dhabi Open, she made an early exit, and in Doha, she went down to Ons Jabeur in the R16. In Dubai though, she has looked in far better form!
However, beating Jasmine Paolini won’t be easy. The defending champion overcame rain to kickstart her campaign on a winning note against Germany’s Eva Lys (6-2,7-5). Paolini had a wonderful last season, where she reached the finals of the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships. Reflecting on that, the Italian said, “Every step last year helped me.” However, she also admitted, “I’m trying to tell myself that this year it’s a different story, completely different. We have to write a new story, not think too much of the past.“
Long day, but a win in the end. Great to get things going!
pic.twitter.com/MNvKwtTZgF
— Jasmine Paolini (@JasminePaolini) February 18, 2025
In the ongoing season, Paolini reached the third round of the AO and made it to the R16 of the Qatar Open as well. Can the Italian defend her title in Dubai? Well, she first needs to overcome the American veteran.
Kenin vs Paolini: Head-to-Head
Jasmine Paolini has locked horns with Sofia Kenin twice in her career so far, and guess what? She has found it really tough to go past the American. Kenin currently has a 2-0 lead over Paolini in the H2H.
2019 Guangzhou QF: Kenin 7-5,6-1.
2019 Rome R64: Kenin 6-1,6-2.
Prediction: Paolini to win in three sets
Jasmine Paolini looks unstoppable in Dubai at the moment! However, we must not forget that Sofia Kenin defeated two big opponents in her previous two matches. Considering all these factors, we feel the Italian will have the upper hand in this epic battle, but we expect Kenin to put up a strong fight!
Looking at the numbers, Jasmine Paolini (4) has a win-loss record of 6-3 in this season. On the other hand, her opponent in this match, Kenin (56) has a win-loss record of 7-5 in 2025.
Kenin’s aggressive brand of tennis may be quite handy on this surface. She has variation to her game and that includes her incredible drop shots too! Kenin loves playing from the baseline and she can also hit winners with both her forehand and backhand. Her biggest weapons are her backhand-down-the-line and the inside-out-forehand. However, she has struggled a bit with her serve this season. Kenin has hit 16 aces so far this season, but has committed 29 double faults!
On the other hand, Jasmine Paolini has a solid all-around game and her great anticipation skills make her a really special player on the women’s Tour. She has a very dynamic and aggressive style of play and it’s mainly characterized by powerful groundstrokes. Paolini has heavy topspin on her forehand, but her backhands are generally a bit flatter. Her incredible agility and court coverage can cause troubles for Sofia Kenin. However, Paolini might still have the last laugh in this encounter!
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