Paolini hunting medals at Paris Olympics, and Nadal selfie

She has strong chances of winning medals in both singles and doubles, and hopes to take a selfie with the French Open champion, Rafa Nadal, who is 38 years old.

Hailing from Tuscany, Paolini is returning to Roland Garros shortly after making it to the French Open final. She achieved the same feat at Wimbledon, finishing as the runner-up.

These impressive performances have propelled Paolini to fifth place in the WTA rankings. She is expected to make a deep run in her second Olympics, where she is seeded fourth.

"It feels a bit strange to be back here so soon. Everything feels a bit different," Paolini shared with the press. "The balls, the courts, even the weather."

"However, it's always a pleasure to play tennis here," she added.

Paolini's schedule is packed for Saturday, as she will face Ana Bogdan of Romania in the singles match.

Additionally, she will team up with the experienced Sara Errani for the doubles match against the formidable duo from New Zealand, Erin Routliffe (world number one) and Lulu Sun.

If time permits, Paolini hopes to catch Nadal for a selfie. "My goal for these Olympics is to get a selfie with Rafa," she quipped. "I already have one with Roger (Federer) and Novak (Djokovic) from the previous Olympics, so now I aim to add one with Rafa."

"I might feel a bit shy, but I'll give it a shot. If you spot it on Instagram, it means I succeeded."

Italy suffered a setback when men's top seed Jannik Sinner had to withdraw due to illness. However, they still have a strong contender in Paolini, who is not only a medal hopeful in singles but also in doubles.

Paolini's partnership with Errani, a former French Open runner-up and five-time Grand Slam doubles champion, is particularly formidable as they are seeded third. The duo even made it to the French Open final in June.

Errani emphasized the importance of focusing on the present tournament rather than dwelling on past achievements, although past success can provide a confidence boost.

Additionally, Errani, aged 37, received a pleasant surprise on Friday when she was granted a spot in the singles draw as an alternate following Daria Saville's withdrawal due to injury.