Ons Jabeur: What the Tunisian needs to do to win the 2023 Wimbledon women's title

The sixth seed is aiming to become the first Arab or African woman to win a Grand Slam trophy

Ons Jabeur is bidding to win her first Grand Slam title when she faces Marketa Vondrousova in the Wimbledon final. EPA

Ons Jabeur advanced to her third Grand Slam final on Thursday with a superb victory over second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

The Tunisian trailed a set and a break but fought back to win 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 to become the first female player since Serena Williams in 2019 to reach successive Wimbledon finals.

Jabeur will face Marketa Vondrousova in the final on Saturday after the Czech eased past Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the earlier semi-final.

Sixth-seed Jabeur will be the favourite to win her first major title against a player who, until this year's Wimbledon, never showed any form on grass, but Vondrousova has already beaten Jabeur twice this year including at the Australian Open.

So what does Jabeur need to do to ensure she lifts the Venus Rosewater dish on Saturday and become the first Arab or African woman to win a major title?

Keep doing what she's doing

It may seem oversimplified but Jabeur has got to this stage, and eliminated a string of top rivals, by sticking to a clear and effective game plan. She has not been drawn into slugging matches against more powerful players, instead relying on her ability to move the ball around the court and disrupt her opponents' rhythm.

Vondrousova is another player with power but having blunted the weapons of Petra Kvitova, Elena Rybakina, and Sabalenka – arguably the three most effective power players on the tour – Jabeur's game plan should be highly refined heading into the final. She must make sure not to abandon that strategy as the pressure intensifies.

Maintain focus

In her on-court interview after defeating Sabalenka, Jabeur spoke of the "old me" who would likely have lost the match when trailing by a set and a break as frustration and anger set in. But the new Jabeur, as she said, "dug deep" to find a way out before sealing a remarkable victory.

That level of focus and concentration must remain in the final, particularly if adversity arises and Jabeur finds herself in another challenging situation; likewise if Jabeur is in a position of strength and closing in on the title – staying in the zone will help alleviate the inevitable nerves.

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  Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her win against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in their Wimbledon semi-final at the All England Club on Thursday, July 13, 2023. AP

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  Ons Jabeur plays a forehand against Aryna Sabalenka in their Wimbledon semi-final at the All England Club. Getty

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  Aryna Sabalenka during the Wimbledon semi-final against Ons Jabeur. EPA

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  Aryna Sabalenka serves against Ons Jabeur at the All England Club in Wimbledon. PA

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  Ons Jabeur returns to Aryna Sabalenka in London. AP

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  Aryna Sabalenka attempts a return. EPA

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  Ons Jabeur at the All England Club on Thursday. AP

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  Ons Jabeur celebrates winning a point. AFP

Use her experience to her advantage

Jabeur, 28, will be playing in her third final from the last five Grand Slam tournaments, and second at Wimbledon in as many years. She has been here before and recently; she knows how it all works, the unique pressure and spotlight and how to handle such challenges.

Additionally, Jabeur has more grass court experience than almost any other player on the WTA Tour.

Vondrousova has her own Grand Slam final experience having reached the title match at the 2019 French Open but had never gone beyond the second round at Wimbledon before. In fact, the Czech had previously only won one match at the All England Club and had been dealing with long-term injury prior to this season.

Jabeur needs to use that experience to her advantage and be aware that Vondrousova is likely to be feeling the nerves a lot more.

Harness the power of the crowd

Jabeur has long established herself as a firm fan favourite at Wimbledon, and indeed across the tennis globe. The All England Club crowd have been getting right behind the Tunisian in every round and she is expected to receive the large majority of support on Saturday.

Jabeur often speaks of the energy she draws from the crowd, and as one of the sport's great entertainers, the sixth seed will want to once again harness the power from the supporters to give herself an extra edge and apply the pressure on Vondrousova.