By Hritika Sharma
(Reuters) – Ons Jabeur will return to Wimbledon determined to finish off what she started last year and take her already trailblazing career to new heights, spurred on by the pain of falling short in the 2022 final at the All England Club.
Tunisia’s “Minister of Happiness” is bidding to become the first African woman and the first Arab to win a Grand Slam title, having also reached last year’s U.S. Open final.
This year the 28-year-old bowed out at Melbourne Park in the second round in January and has battled injuries for much of the season.
She returned to form at the French Open but did not dwell on her surprise quarter-final exit in Paris, instead setting her sights on winning on grass.
“I’m hoping to go and get the title in Wimbledon,” the world number six said. “I’m dreaming about it. It’s something that I always wanted. Grass season already started in my head.”
Jabeur said she and her husband cried as they relived her run to last year’s Wimbledon final, when she lost to Elena Rybakina in three sets, on the Netflix documentary “Break Point” and that it has made her hungrier for success this time around.
“I haven’t watched it again, I don’t think I will because it’s very tough to watch it,” Jabeur said before this week’s tune-up tournament in Eastbourne. “Great memories, but especially after the final (it) was very emotional.
“That feeling never goes away. I want to change the scenario that was there in that episode. We will see. For me, the most important thing is I feel healthy and enjoy my game on grass.”
Jabeur, who won her first WTA title on the Birmingham lawns in 2021, began her grasscourt season with a first-round defeat at last week’s German Open, where she was the defending champion, and was then knocked out in the last 16 at Eastbourne by Camila Giorgi on Wednesday.
Her style of play, which is full of variety, is suited to the surface, but the former world number two said she was still adjusting to the abrupt transition from clay to grass.
“You need a couple of days adjusting to the bounce,” she said after a straight-sets win over Jasmine Paolini in the opening round at Eastbourne. “Coming from clay, where the bounce is very slow, doesn’t help.
“To be honest, it was kind of expected in Berlin. It’s tough to play on grass without having a lot of matches, at least for me. It’s true that I play great on grass, but I have to find my rhythm, I have to find my shots to be able to perform the best.”
Jabeur is certainly not lacking in belief, however, and will be on a mission as she resumes her quest for an elusive first major.
“I learnt a lot and both Wimbledon and the US Open were tough losses for me,” Jabeur said during the Australian Open. “But it always takes me time.
“I won my first WTA tournament after losing a few finals. Maybe it will be the same for a Grand Slam.”
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Toby Davis)
