French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini advanced to her first Wimbledon quarterfinal after Madison Keys was forced to retire due to a leg injury during their fourth-round match on Sunday. The match took a dramatic turn when Keys, who had served for the match at 5-2 in the final set, started experiencing increasing discomfort in her left leg. After Paolini closed the gap to 5-4, Keys required a medical timeout to address the issue.
Despite having her left thigh taped, Keys was broken again by Paolini, leading to visible signs of distress and tears from the American player. Ultimately, Keys made the difficult decision to retire from the match while the score was tied at 5-5 in the third set.
Paolini had claimed the first set 6-3, but Keys fought back to win the second set 7-6 (6) before the unfortunate end to the match. In a post-match interview, Paolini expressed sympathy for her opponent, acknowledging the bittersweet nature of her victory.
Paolini's advancement to the quarterfinals marks a significant achievement, as she becomes the fifth Italian woman in the professional era to reach this stage at Wimbledon. She now sets her sights on potentially becoming the first Italian woman to reach the semifinals at the prestigious tournament.
In the quarterfinals, Paolini will face the winner of the match between No. 2 seed Coco Gauff and 19th-seeded Emma Navarro, who were scheduled to compete later on Centre Court. Meanwhile, Keys, who was aiming for her second consecutive quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon, was left disappointed by the premature end to her campaign at the All England Club.
