The 28-year-old tennis player created history this year when he advanced to Wimbledon’s fourth round, a competition with a 147-year history.

She lost to Barbora Krejcikova at the competition, which put an end to her journey. Still, Paolini is now one of the few women this century to have advanced to the singles finals at Wimbledon and Roland-Garros in the same year, joining the ranks of Steffi Graf, Justine Henin, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams.

Paolini’s diverse upbringing contributes to her individual charm. “I’m proud to have different bloods in my body,” she remarked at a press conference last month after losing to Iga Swiatek in the French Open final. Although my mother is Polish and my grandfather is from Ghana, I was born and raised in Italy. I believe Ghana is the reason I’m fast. My ability to speak Polish is something extra to have in your personality, in my opinion.

Of Ghanaian Heritage, Jasmine Paolini Reaches Back-To-Back Grand Slam Finals, First Since Serena Williams

Paolini had already discussed her ancestry with BNPParibasOpen.com earlier this year, remarking, “Maybe my Ghanaian heritage makes me feel like I’m speedy on court. I have the Italian energy, of course, and I have drive from Poland. It’s eclectic, and I’m rather pleased with it.

She won her biggest title in Dubai, advanced to the Australian Open’s fourth round, and came in second at Roland-Garros. She rose from outside the top 30 in the world to her current career-high ranking of No. 7 in the world thanks to these accomplishments. She is the first female to qualify for two Grand Slam finals in a row since Serena Williams in 2016.

Until this year, Paolini had never triumphed in a match at the tour level on grass. Her ascent to her first Wimbledon final, which she accomplished on July 11 by defeating Croatian Donna Vekic in the longest-ever women’s semifinal at Wimbledon, marked her breakthrough.

“When I was little, I watched this fantastic tournament on TV,” Paolini wrote on social media following her final match. Being a part of this final is an experience of a lifetime. Even though I lost, today was still enjoyable. I appreciate all of the support from my family, teammates, and sponsors.