Ons Jabeur, 28, had a prolific 2022 season. Last year, the Tunisian became the first Arab player to reach a Grand Slam final, win a WTA 1000 title and enter the top 10. She arrives at Roland-Garros very motivated, despite a truncated start to the season by injuries.
The weather forecast predicts sunny weather on the Porte d’Auteuil side when the Tunisian Ons Jabeur enters the running, against the Italian Lucia Bronzetti, ranked 102nd. Jabeur, seventh in the world, who suffered injuries during this season, is determined to return to the spotlight on the legendary French clay court.
Fans in the aisles of Roland-Garros
According to the draw, the native of Ksar Hellal could find herself facing the formidable Elena Rybakina, fourth in the WTA rankings, in the quarter-finals. But no rush, Roland-Garros remains the only Grand Slam tournament in which Jabeur has not yet managed to pass the stage of the round of 16, which she had reached in 2020 and 2021. It’s a good goal for this year’s quarter-finals ! “, she exclaims to the question of a colleague who reminds her of the historic Parisian quarters of the Moroccan Hicham Arazi (1997 and 1998).
” A little stress, nothing new, I know these emotions “, said the tricolor Alizé Cornet, when answering the first question about his state of mind during his press conference before the opening of the tournament. We readily imagine that Jabeur would have had the same answer.
” I love Paris, being here. Tunisia is close to France, I have fans “says Jabeur. Like the Polish Iga Swiatek, still world number one, defending champion, who ” like to come back here “, Jabeur does not discover Roland-Garros, which she played for the first time in 2017 as a “lucky loser” (she had been eliminated in the last round of the tournament’s qualifications and fished out to join the main draw, due to of a last minute package in this one, Editor’s note). She had won the tournament in Juniors.
Recognition for Jabeur
A year ago, with his title at the Masters 1000 in Madrid and his final in Rome, Ons Jabeur arrived as the favorite alongside Iga Swiatek. To everyone’s surprise, she had been eliminated in her first match. ” I dream of a Grand Slam, it has to happen one day “. And why not in Paris?
Despite this disappointment in the French capital, the year 2022 remains a success all the same for Jabeur who reached his first two Grand Slam finals, against the Russian Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon in July, then against Swiatek at the US Open. 2 months later.
Since 2022, everything has changed for the tenniswoman: “ People follow me a lot in Tunisia. Maybe people watch tennis more than football and that makes me happy. It gives me energy “. In the alleys of Roland-Garros, she is asked for selfies, she signs autographs and that makes her happy.
However, the Tunisian, nicknamed by her compatriots the “Minister of Happiness”, is swimming in the fog, despite a title in Charleston on clay last April. His first part of the season was disrupted by physical glitches. Jabeur didn’t get the chance to defend his title in Madrid due to a calf injury. She also withdrew from Stuttgart after three games against Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals. ” I will do my best, I trained well this week. I’m 100% “, she warns with a smile.