Jasmine Paolini reveals the real reason why she lost to Iva Jovic at the Australian Open

It wasn’t Jasmine Paolini’s day down under…

The two-time Grand Slam finalist had made her way through to the third round without much trouble, defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2, and Magdalena Frech, 6-2, 6-3.

Advancing to the third round, she met American teenager, Iva Jovic.

Jovic outclassed Paolini in the first set, taking a 6-2 lead on the John Cain Arena.

The second set swung back and forth, but after failing to serve out the match, Jovic recomposed herself, winning the tiebreaker 7-3, as she booked her place in the last-16.

Paolini was understandably frustrated with the result, but what went wrong for the Italian?

During her post-match press conference, Paolini shared her theory as to why she lost to Jovic.

Jasmine Paolini says laying down on the sofa after eating lunch affected her vs Iva Jovic

“Me, honestly, I think I laid down on the sofa after lunch, and that wasn’t a good idea for my stomach,” she said.

“I stepped on the court, and I couldn’t move at my best.

“But I was trying, you know, to stay there, because I knew that as the time passed, I would get better, but it wasn’t enough to turn the match.”

Paolini was also quick to congratulate her opponent, giving her credit for another excellent performance.

“She was playing good, not many mistakes, moving the ball aggressively. I couldn’t, like, move at my best, so it was tough today,” she said.

“I tried to stay there every point, to manage to go, to stay there, to play deep, to go to the third set, but it wasn’t enough. She played better than me.

“I think, yeah, she’s a very good player I said before, I said after the first match we played in Indian Wells, I said at the US Open. I think she’s very young.

“She’s a very tough opponent already, very mature on court. Not many mistakes. Playing good every shot, basically. So I think she has a really bright future ahead.”

Jovic will now prepare to take on Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday, January 25.

What’s going wrong for Jasmine Paolini at Grand Slams?

When Paolini reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, many wondered if it was a matter of if, not when she would pick up her first major title.

Unfortunately for the Italian number one, she hasn’t returned to a major quarterfinal since.

After losing in the fourth round of the US Open in 2024, things didn’t get any better in 2025.

Last year, Paolini lost in the third round of the Australian Open, the fourth round of the French Open, the second round of Wimbledon, and the third round of the US Open.

Now losing in the third round of the 2026 Australian Open, Paolini has failed to reach the quarterfinals at any of the last six major tournaments.

It’s tough to nail down the exact reason behind her struggles, but as the run continues, you start to wonder if she will ever return to the latter stages of a Grand Slam.

Looking to move on from her defeat to Jovic, Paolini will now head over to Doha, in preparation for the Qatar Open.

The 2026 WTA 1000 Qatar Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 9.