'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ons Jabeur recently took her fans down memory lane as she reminisced about the pain she felt following her 2023 Wimbledon final loss against Markéta Vondrousova.
Jabeur has competed in three Major finals, and the Wimbledon final in 2023 was her most recent. In a final that lasted only an hour and 20 minutes, the Czech player defeated Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 to clinch her first Grand Slam title.
The Tunisian recently appeared on Reem Abulleil's podcast ‘Abtal’ alongside Egyptian tennis star Mayar Sherif.
Jabeur was asked about her 2023 Wimbledon final loss on the podcast. She stated that the high expectations made the loss particularly painful, mainly because she had been in fine form and had been yearning to win the trophy for so long.
“Maybe expectations got in the way because I was sure I could win this one. I was ready, playing amazing matches. I also felt it was unfair since I had tougher matches before, making it tough."
"I've been playing well the last two years, building myself up. Falling short in just one match hurt because I wanted to lift that title so bad for so many years, but yeah, it is what it is,” Ons Jabeur said (34:30)
Jabeur defeated Magdalena Fręch, Bai Zhuoxuan, Bianca Andreescu and Petra Kvitová in the first, second, third, and fourth rounds respectively at Wimbledon in 2023. She secured victory against Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinal and Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal before facing Markéta Vondrousova in the final.
Ons Jabeur holds the record for being the first African and Arab woman to play in a Grand Slam final.
“After going to the locker rooms and meeting Kim and Navratilova, it was very tough” - Ons Jabeur
In the same podcast, Jabeur shared that she had a difficult time when she went to the locker room after the match and met Belgian tennis icon Kim Clijsters and 18-time Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova.
Jabeur claimed that while their presence made her feel more emotional, it was also encouraging.
“After going to the locker rooms and meeting Kim and Navratilova, it was very tough. They were all feeling sad for me, and you could feel the energy from that, which made me even more sad. But then, it encouraged me even more,” she said.
Jabeur also shared that she and her husband, Karim Kamoun, cried after the match. The Tunisian stated that it was nice to experience the sad times together as well.
“Karim and I cried a lot afterward. Then, seeing Karim like this, it's also nice to share this with him. You don't always share good things; this is perhaps a sad but good thing that you share too,” Jabeur added.
Karim Kamoun is a Tunisian former fencer. The couple got married in 2015.
