If there’s one thing one can take from Ons Jabeur’s giant-slaying run to a second consecutive Wimbledon final, it’s how important it is to work on oneself.
As Jabeur admitted in her on-court interview on Thursday after rallying back from a set and a break down to defeat world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the “old Jabeur” would have probably lost that semi-final.
She would have gotten frustrated by Sabalenka’s clutch serving, rued her missed break point opportunities, complained continuously to her team in her box, and let the match slip away.
Luckily that’s the old Jabeur. The new Jabeur got angry but regrouped. The new Jabeur seethed when she got aced, but then accepted she was facing a player with exceptional power and serving abilities. The new Jabeur put her faith in being patient, sticking to the plan, hanging with her opponent in the rallies, and waiting for the right moment to pounce. She lost break points but also won some. And most importantly, levelled up when she needed it the most.
It’s been a recurring pattern for the Tunisian this entire Wimbledon Championships, particularly in her last four matches, four consecutive wins over Grand Slam champions.
The world No 6 has navigated arguably her toughest draw at a major to date, getting tested against players who have handed her painful Wimbledon defeats in the past – including in last year’s final – and coming back from behind against Bianca Andreescu in the third round, Petra Kvitova in the last 16, Rybakina in the quarters and Sabalenka in the final four.
Stats show Sabalenka’s average shot speed is 74mph, faster than the average shot speed in this year’s men’s singles championship, which is 71mph. When you face that kind of force and find ways to acknowledge it, absorb it, and use it to your advantage, you feel like you’ve really cracked the code.
Jabeur says she has been working on improving her mental strength since she was 10 years old, and her commitment to the cause is truly paying off at these Championships, where she is accompanied by her sports psychologist of six years Melanie Maillard.
“I'm working on myself like crazy. You have no idea what I'm doing. Every time there is something, I'm very tough with myself, try to improve everything,” the 28-year-old Tunisian said on Thursday.
“Very impatient sometimes, which is not good. Maybe the injuries slowed me down and taught me to be patient and accept what's going on.”
Being able to see a silver lining in those difficult moments she has suffered this season, where she was sidelined with health problems and injuries, is also a sign of Jabeur’s overall development.
Maillard has worked with Jabeur on many things, including embracing the pressure of carrying the hopes of the African continent and wider Arab region on her shoulders.
“For me there is one goal: I'm going for it. I will prepare 100 per cent. Hopefully I can make history not just for Tunisia, but for Africa,” she declared ahead of Saturday’s final against Marketa Vondrousova.
A couple of months after losing the Wimbledon final to Rybakina in 2022, Jabeur fell to world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the US Open final. Sat outside the media centre in New York after that defeat, Jabeur told me she had been nervous about the prospect of losing another major final, and that suffering another disappointment “scared me a little bit”. But she faced that fear and almost pushed Swiatek to a third set before succumbing to the Pole.
Nearly 10 months on, Jabeur appears to be on a mission, her revenge tour already featuring several impressive takedowns of Petra Kvitova (beat Jabeur at Wimbledon 2019), Rybakina (beat Jabeur at Wimbledon 2022), and now Sabalenka (beat Jabeur at Wimbledon 2021).
Her final opponent, the unseeded Vondrousova, owns two victories over the Tunisian in 2023.
“Going for my revenge again. I guess it’s working,” said Jabeur with a laugh during her on-court interview.
Manoeuvring through a much tougher draw and with the pain of losing two major finals behind her, Jabeur is once again just a step away from becoming the first Tunisian, African and Arab woman to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy.
Tunisia’s ‘Minister of Happiness’ seems poised to spread more joy across her country, region, and continent on Saturday.
“I want to make my path worth it, beating all these Grand Slam champions to be in the final. I'm going full in, and hopefully this time it will work,” she said.
Well, they do say third time’s a charm.
