The Tunisian Ons Jabeur is in the final of the tennis tournament of Wimbledon. There, the 27-year-old not only plays for herself.
For many years, Hicham Arazi was the best tennis player from North Africa and the Arab world. Between 1997 and 2004, the Moroccan made it to the Australian Open and the French Open twice in the quarterfinals. But he never got any further. The ex-professional recently met Ons Jabeur. “Arabs always lose in the quarterfinals, we’re fed up with that”he told the Tunisian.
She took it to heart. After her semi-final victory against Tatjana Maria, Jabeur will be in the final of the tennis tournament on Sunday (07/10/2022). Wimbledon. There she meets the Kazakh Yelena Rybakina.
History has long been written
Jabeur has long written history. In June 2021, she became the first Arab tennis professional to win a WTA tournament, in Birmingham. Shortly thereafter, she moved into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Then, in October, she made it into the top ten the world tennis rankings. Of a “Dream That Comes True”said Jabeur after their success: “But the top ten is just the beginning.”
Victories in Madrid and Berlin
She followed up the self-confident announcement with action. In May, she won the tournament in Madrid, becoming the first player from an Arab country to win a tournament in the WTA 1000 category.
A few weeks later, she also won the preparatory tournament in Berlin, making her one of the favorites for Wimbledon. She is now second in the world rankings. Of course, as a junior she had already achieved a number of successes and records.
“Believe in yourself!”
She is aware of her responsibility. As the first top tennis player from the Arab world, she represents millions of people. “That means a lot to me”she says: “I’m not only playing for myself. I’m playing for my country, for the Arab world, for the African continent.”
She wants to open doors, be an ambassador, motivate young girls and women in her home country to do the same. Not many people from their country play tennis: “If I can do it, so can you”says Jabeur: “Believe in yourself!”
family support
She receives support from her husband Karim Kamoun, who is also her fitness trainer. He occasionally gets her out of the lethargy that almost got her away from tennis when she was young. A lot of things were too exhausting for her back then, Jabeur said in an interview with the WTA: the training, the tight schedule, the restricted private life. Above all, she lacked role models. Her mother Samira then warned her to always make the best of herself. She did, and it was worth it.
Favorite against Rybakina
So now the final in Wimbledon. Jabeur is the clear favorite against Rybakina. What can stop her is her nerves. After all, not only will Hicham Arazi be watching closely, but all of North Africa and the Arab world.