"I'm still on Ons Jabeur's bandwagon, she's gonna break through and do some damage" - Jimmy Connors

American tennis legend Jimmy Connors has lavished praise on Ons Jabeur after she reached the summit clash at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

The Tunisian made it into her third Grand Slam final at SW19 in July, but lost to Marketa Vondrousova in the title match. She previously reached the finals of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships (lost to Elena Rybakina) and the 2022 US Open (lost to Iga Swiatek).

Jabeur is still hoping to be the first woman from Africa and the Arab world to lift a singles Grand Slam title. She has garnered a global following with her impressive tennis style and infectious personality off the court.

Many are still hoping to see Ons Jabeur become a Major champion, and eight-time Grand Slam champion Jimmy Connors is in that group. The 80-year-old recently spoke about his thoughts on the 28-year-old on the "Advantage Connors" podcast.

Connors believes Jabeur can succeed at the Grand Slam level and has weapons to do severe damage to some of her top opponents. The American cited Jabeur's remarkable run at the 2023 Wimbledon to back up his point of view.

Jabeur posted wins over former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and World No. 9 Petra Kvitova in the third and fourth rounds respectively. She then defeated World No. 3 and defending Wimbledon champion Rybakina in the last eight and World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.

"I'm still on Jabeur's bandwagon. I think she is going to break through and do some damage. She already does some damage. Look who she beat to get to the finals. I'm rooting for her. There are some people who just grab you," Connors said.

The former World No. 1 also spoke about the controversy that preceded the 2023 Wimbledon final. Ons Jabeur was asked to change her clothes after stepping onto the Center Court to practice in black clothing. The Tunisian's clothes were in violation of Wimbledon's all-white clothing rules.

Connors believes that the incident was an unnecessary distraction for Jabeur and brought more press attention to her.

"She is getting enough press by being in the final. You don't need to do anything, change anything to get more press. I mean, your name is on the front page of every newspaper and on the news, the highlights of Wimbledon. It's crazy to upset a routine and try something different," Connors explained.

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“The most painful loss of my career” - Ons Jabeur after Wimbledon final defeat

Ons Jabeur at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

Marketa Vondrousova beat Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the 2023 Wimbledon final. This was Vondrousova's maiden Grand Slam title in her second Major final. The loss was heartbreaking for Jabeur, who was dubbed the favorite in the final as she had defeated three top 10 players on her way to the summit clash.

During the presentation ceremony, the World No. 6 was in tears and struggling to gather her thoughts. She dubbed the loss "the most painful" one of her career.

"I'll try to speak because this is very, very tough. But I'm gonna look ugly in the photos, so it's not gonna help. I think this is the most painful loss of my career," she said.

Jabeur promised her team and fans at the Center Court that she was not giving up on her dream and would be back to lift the title at SW19. She also thanked her fans for their constant support throughout the tournament.

"It's gonna be a tough day today for me, but I'm not gonna give up and I'm gonna come back stronger and win. Thank you guys for coming. Thank you for cheering for me. The energy is amazing from day one here at Wimbledon. I really appreciate your support," Ons Jabeur said.