An iconic moment from the US Open came at Louis Armstrong Stadium Wednesday night when Italian photographer Ray Giubilo captured Jasmine Paolini with her racquet raised in front of her face, the strings forming a mask as her eyes and mouth peered through.
Paolini, the seventh seed, clinched a straight-sets win over 17-year-old Iva Jovic to reach the third round. The match lasted one hour and 26 minutes, during which Paolini broke Jovic’s serve five times and saved nine of 11 break points to seal the victory.
After the match, Paolini called the image “the picture of the year,” adding it has a Halloween vibe. “Yes, it’s a Halloween one. You have to watch, guys. I will post that tonight,” she quipped, and she delivered on that promise by sharing the shot on Instagram later that evening.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist is into the third round at Flushing Meadows for the second straight year, having reached the fourth round last year, her best result at this tournament. She will face former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova on Friday. The two have met once before, back in 2017 in Biel, Switzerland, where Vondrousova won in straight sets in a qualifying match. The matchup promises a different atmosphere this time around.
This moment underscores how memorable photography can amplify a player’s personality and momentum on a big stage, adding an extra spark to Paolini’s ongoing US Open run. If Paolini can carry this energy into her next match, she could turn the Halloween-inspired image into a lasting storyline for her campaign at Flushing Meadows.