The wave of early upsets at Wimbledon 2025 continued today as Jasmine Paolini, last year’s finalist and the tournament’s No. 4 seed, suffered a shock second-round exit at the hands of unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova from Russia.
Paolini, who had reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2024, was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Court Three in a match lasting two hours and 18 minutes.
The 29-year-old Italian came into this year’s Championships with high hopes after lifting the 2025 French Open doubles title alongside Sara Errani, but she failed to replicate her singles success from the previous season. Despite taking the opening set, Paolini was undone by Rakhimova’s resilience and aggressive baseline play, as the Russian claimed one of the biggest victories of her career.
“I just focused on my game, point by point,” Rakhimova said in her post-match speech. “Jasmine is a great player, and I knew I had to be aggressive and consistent. I’m really proud of how I handled the pressure.”
Paolini’s defeat marks yet another high-profile exit in what has been a chaotic opening week in the women’s singles draw. She joins fellow top-five seeds Coco Gauff (2nd), Jessica Pegula (3rd), and Zheng Qinwen (5th), all of whom were knocked out in the first round. Only world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka remains in contention, after defeating Marie Bouzkova in straight sets on Wednesday.
With the early exits of multiple favourites, the women’s draw has opened up dramatically, giving lesser-known players a golden opportunity to make deep runs at the All England Club.
Paolini, who rose to prominence with her fearless performances last year, has now failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in her last four Grand Slam appearances. Her early departure raises questions about her form heading into the summer hard-court season.
Meanwhile, Rakhimova advances to the third round of a Grand Slam for just the second time in her career, where she will face either Sofia Kenin or Tatjana Maria for a spot in the last 16.
The unpredictability of this year’s tournament continues to captivate fans, and with top seeds falling, the path to glory at Wimbledon 2025 is becoming increasingly unpredictable.