WATCH: Jasmine Paolini leads Team Italy in United Cup surf lesson

Surf's up for Team Italy in Sydney! The Italians looked more than comfortable on the court in a Group D sweep of Switzerland in Pat Rafter Arena at the United Cup over the weekend, the first step on their road to a third straight team title after sweeping both the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup trophies to close out 2024 last month.

But in the water, for a pre-tournament surfing excursion? That was another story.

The ebullient Jasmine Paolini, the team's top-ranked singles player, was ready to tackle the challenge, despite admitting to being "a little bit scared," she said in an ATP video clip. And even after the crew got accustomed to its boards and learned the proper paddle technique, Paolini's 22-year-old teammate Flavio Cobolli, playing as the team's ATP No. 1, was still humorously apprehensive.

Read more: 2024 WTA Player of the Year Countdown, No. 5: Jasmine Paolini

Any lingering fears of the ocean were quickly pushed aside as the team's chemistry once again won out. Paolini even revealed that Andrea Vavassori's nickname on tour is "Wave," and the reigning US Open mixed doubles champion looked all natural as he caught some gentle waves.

"Maybe he is born to do this!" she quipped of her 29-year-old compatriot's nominative determinism.

But by the end of the lesson, everyone was smiling.

"I think I can say I like surfing now," Paolini said in closing, though Cobolli still admitted that "maybe [he's] better on the tennis court."

The team will return to those friendly confines on New Year's Eve in Sydney when it faces France for a quarterfinal berth.