It was quite the revelation. After being beaten in the first round of The Championships for three years in a row, last year Jasmine Paolini whooshed through to the ladies' singles final, beating Madison Keys, Emma Navarro and Donna Vekic on the way before being edged out by Barbora Krejcikova 6-4 in the final set.
Now, as the No.4 seed prepares to play in the main draw for the fifth time, she insists she is keeping her expectations low. "Especially on grass, everything can really happen. I don't know, just trying to focus on the first match, trying to play a good match with a good level. I think it's the goal for the first match."
As part of her stellar 2024 - she won 42 singles matches and also reached the final at Roland-Garros - the Italian won eight of her 10 matches on grass. She has yet to match that form, losing her opening match in Berlin to two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, before winning a couple of matches in Bad Homburg to reach the semi-finals, where she went down to former world No.1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
The Italian is in the top half of the draw and looks to have a favourable path to the fourth round and a possible meeting with Amanda Anisimova, the No.13 seed.
Perhaps surprisingly, after 10 "amazing years" working together, Paolini split with her coach Renzo Furlan - the 2024 WTA Coach of the Year - and has since hired Marc Lopez. He won an Olympic Games doubles gold medal for Spain alongside his good friend Rafael Nadal in 2016, before taking up the reins as Nadal's co-coach, alongside Carlos Moya.
Together, Lopez helped Paolini to win the 2025 Italian Open - the 29-year-old's home tournament.
Paolini says the messages from her coaches have not altered a great deal. "I think tennis is the same thing at the end. They are not giving me two opposite advice. More or less are the same. It's kind of different communication maybe.
"For the moment it's working good. I'm happy. We didn't have the chance to practise, so I'm curious also when we are going to practise for a bit longer."
The recent hot conditions in Germany and the sultry forecast for London will surely help her chances of a repeat run.
"Hamburg was hot, Berlin was hot. We'll see. I like hot. Last year, I have to say, I really liked when the roof was closed. Still, you have to play on this court to have the roof.
"Drink a lot, I guess. That's the main thing because if the match goes long, then it's tough."
If Paolini's singles play is sunny, her doubles recently has been scorching. Alongside Sara Errani she has won 56 matches over the past two seasons.
Last year, the pair won Olympic gold in Paris, three other WTA titles and reached the final at Roland-Garros. This year, they went one step further on the Parisian clay, after repeating their Italian Open triumph. A 14-match winning streak was eventually halted in the Berlin final by Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.
Hamburg was hot, Berlin was hot. We'll see. I like hot.
Paolini recognises that doubles has helped her singles game and she plans to continue to double up, no matter how demanding the schedule.
"It gave me confidence. Also for singles. A lot of emotion, as well. Big emotion because the gold medal was an amazing achievement.
"I really enjoy playing doubles. It helps me with the singles, with single serves, volleys. It's a good problem to have both to play. So for the moment, I'll keep playing doubles, for sure."