Jasmine Paolini is best known for her blazing forehands and fearless returns, but her latest social media post has fans more focused on her baby curls than her backhand. In a rare and utterly adorable moment of off-court openness, the Italian tennis star shared a nostalgic peek into her family photo album—and the internet can’t stop saying, “Mamma mia!”
Paolini’s Instagram post featured a carousel of throwback snapshots from her childhood in the Tuscan countryside. From chubby-cheeked toddler moments to precocious mini-racket poses, fans were treated to a heart-melting journey through her early years. “Before the trophies, there were tricycles,” Jasmine captioned the post, adding a smiling emoji and a tiny tennis ball.
Cue the emotional avalanche. “She’s always had that champion stare—even at three!” wrote one fan. Another chimed in, “She’s got more swag in that baby stroller than I do on my best day.”
Among the standouts: a photo of baby Jasmine clutching a stuffed giraffe while rocking a headband far too large for her head, a shot of her giggling next to a homemade pasta dish (an early sign of her love for Italian cuisine, clearly), and an epic school pic where little Jasmine is clearly trying to decide whether to smile or smirk.
But it wasn’t just the cuteness overload that got people talking. Several images revealed the tight bond Jasmine has with her family. One especially touching picture showed her and her mother hugging after what appears to be her first local tournament win—complete with a trophy nearly half her size.
The reveal of these private family moments gave fans a deeper look into the woman behind the tennis fame. Her mother, a woman of Polish and Ghanaian heritage, and her father, proudly Italian, have long supported Jasmine’s dream. “My family gave me strength and pasta,” she once joked. “The two most powerful things in life.”
With followers flooding the comments with heart emojis, throwback comparisons, and demands for “Paolini: The Baby Years” documentary, it’s safe to say this post served up a different kind of ace. Even fellow WTA players dropped in their reactions. One player wrote, “Okay, I need my baby pics to compete with this content. Thanks, Jasmine.”
While Jasmine may not be chasing trophies in diapers anymore, these sweet family memories show that her roots run as deep as her court coverage. And if her backhand doesn’t win your heart, baby Jasmine’s mischievous grin definitely will.
