Sara Errani struck her doubles partner Jasmine Paolini on the head with a stray shot during match point at the Miami Open. The incident occurred as the Italian pair secured a 6-3, 6-2 win over Shuko Aoyama and Ulrikke Eikeri. Paolini sat down briefly but soon smiled, easing concerns.
Jasmine Paolini began her Miami Open with a three-set singles victory over Taylor Townsend before partnering with Sara Errani in doubles. The duo defeated Shuko Aoyama and Ulrikke Eikeri 6-3, 6-2. The match ended awkwardly at 5-2, 40-30 on Errani's serve. Eikeri's return landed out, concluding the point. Errani then hit another ball, which misfired and struck Paolini on the head. Paolini sat on the court, holding the back of her head. Errani quickly approached to check on her. Both players smiled soon after, and the crowd laughed at the light-hearted moment. They proceeded to the net for handshakes. A tweet from Alessandro Febbi captured the scene: 'SARA JUST TRIED TO KILL JASMINE 😭😭😭' with a video clip dated March 21, 2026. Errani and Paolini have a successful partnership, including Olympic gold in women's doubles at the Paris Olympics, plus titles in Linz, Rome, and Beijing since 2024. Paolini reflected on the Olympic win: 'The Olympics are a bit forgotten in tennis... When we won the medal, I understood its value in that moment. It’s totally different, it involves more people and more countries.' Such incidents recall past events, like Jelena Ostapenko hitting her partner twice at Wimbledon in 2019, Victoria Azarenka striking Beatriz Haddad Maia at the 2023 US Open, and Taylor Townsend hitting Liezel Huber in 2014. Paolini was set to face Ostapenko in singles Round of 32 afterward.
