THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2021

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/I. Swiatek

5-7, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You kept your cool after losing the first set. Tell me how you navigated that part of the match, and how proud of yourself are you that you were so calm after that moment.

ONS JABEUR: Honestly, it was very close from the beginning. I knew I had the rhythm. She played really well. She deserved to honestly break me and take the serve. That's why I stayed calm. I didn't think the anger would be the answer right that second.

Yeah, I tried to stay calm at the second set and focus more on my serve. I knew I had to be aggressive. As you notice, I didn't do a lot of dropshots today, just felt like doing, like, slices and be more aggressive was the key here to win in a good two sets.

Q. You're back in the quarterfinals of a slam. When you made your first quarterfinal, did you ever worry that was a one-time thing or did you have belief in yourself that this is going to be a natural occurrence for you?

ONS JABEUR: I didn't even think about it. I just thought if I did it, like, I wanted to know the feeling, and it was a great feeling back in Australia 2020. I wasn't expecting to be in the quarterfinals that time.

This time is different. This time I been going to the second week almost every Grand Slam right now, being more consistent. So I think everybody was kind of expecting me to be in the second week.

Like I said, my goal is to break this quarterfinal and be able to go to semi, and why not the final? I'm enjoying my time here in Wimbledon, enjoying the grass a lot.

Next round is not going to be easy so I have to be ready for it.

Q. You said you didn't hit too many dropshots today, but you hit a couple of really great dropshot returns. Do you ever look at the face of your opponent after you hit that shot? It's an incredible shot to be able to play.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, sometimes, you know, when it's you're in a difficult position, usually the dropshot stays low on grass. I think Iga was kind of ready for those kind of dropshots today. She played really good one. Honestly I just clap because she really played it good.

Like I said, the most important thing sometimes, if you don't win the dropshots, you can have an easy ball and then you can finish.

No, I don't look at the faces, but I will do next time (smiling).

Q. What are your thoughts on the style of play that Sabalenka brings and how that is a challenge for you to face her on grass?

ONS JABEUR: I think it's a big, big challenge for both of us. We have different styles. She likes to hit hard. I like to change the rhythm. It's going to be honestly an interesting match.

Whoever is going to be able to take control from the beginning is going to be playing much better. We practiced together here. She's honestly an amazing player. She hits really hard. She can put pressure on the opponent.

For me, I'm going to try to be ready. I'm going to try to be as low as I can and try to return every ball.

Q. Can you take us back to one or two moments that were really key for you early in your career when you were young or just coming on the tour where you just had to dig deep and break through obstacles in front of you.

ONS JABEUR: There were a lot of times, I got to say. Maybe one of them is maybe 2018, I started really bad the season, winning no matches. I was doubting myself a lot.

I think early in my career, after the juniors, when I didn't see the results that I wanted, when I was seeing the juniors that I played with breaking the top 50, top 40, yeah, it was very difficult for me.

I honestly stayed patient because, like I said before, with my type of game it's difficult to find the right shot, the right choices to do on the court. I finally found what I have to do and be able to stay, like, a clear head to help me a lot to be one of the good athletes right now.

Q. You are very well-known player who is good at dropshots, kind of these tricky shots. At the same time you hit many winners, forehand, very strong wins. Also you are serving very good today. Talk about your improvement of very strong shots. Also maybe many people thinking that your best surface might be clay. Seems like you are really good on grass. Am I wrong or...

ONS JABEUR: Honestly, I try to have the whole package of having the dropshot, the slices, being aggressive at the same time. You never know. You play against players, sometimes you have to change the rhythm to make them feel bad. Sometimes you have to be aggressive to also try to win the point.

I always want to say that grass is my favorite surface, but I cannot really because there is only, like, two or three tournaments per year on grass, which is a very short season. But I like to think of myself as a player that adapts very well to all the surfaces, play good on clay, play good on hard, on grass also.

Like I said, I want to have the whole package so I'll be ready for any type of player.

Q. Every time I read an article about you, it mentions how you were a pioneer, inspiration for women from North Africa. Is it irrelevant to you or important?

ONS JABEUR: It is very important to me. I have seen it, heard it, a lot of times coming here on tour from where I come, I need to gain my respect either with the players or anyone around here.

It's even more difficult for any other player. I have worked hard for this. I've worked hard to earn my place here. I just want to give the example for many generation coming from North Africa, from my country, from the African continent, that it's not impossible, that we can do it.

I'm trying to carry this message from very long time. Hopefully it is working.

Q. How much of your tennis is instinct and how much thought actually goes into the way you play? Also, obviously you play really beautiful tennis. Have you had a thought at some point in your career to play like everybody else plays, not stick with this kind of game?

ONS JABEUR: Honestly, I didn't choose to play like different from other players. I knew coming and playing like tournaments even from the age of 10 or 11 that I have a different style.

I just feel like maybe because I practice with a lot of boys when I was younger, that's how I maybe picked up a different kind of game. I asked my coach when I was younger how I wanted to dropshot or go to the volley sometimes. He said, You picked that up on your own, and just wanted to play like this.

Maybe also the mix of doing a lot of sports at the same time. I love to play football, handball, I was running a lot. Maybe that gives me the opportunity to kind of have a, like, good hands on the court.

Yeah, like you said, honestly I feel like every player have a different game, even you see like some players have similar, but each player could make the difference on the court. I think I like to go in this way and be able to be maybe unique on the court.

Q. Your serve in the second and third sets was pretty incredible. You're not the tallest person in the world. When you were younger, when did you realize that you could have a really effective serve? How has that shot developed over the years?

ONS JABEUR: Well, I always believed that I could have a good serve. It wasn't consistent at some time. You have some coaches that could doubt you and tell you that I'm short and I would never serve good, you know (smiling). I guess I proved them wrong.

Yeah, the serve I think is a tricky shot. I think everybody could serve good, just like you find the right motion. You need to use the legs and the arms in the right way and you can be one of the good servers on tour.

I think I get more confidence from the tournament of Moscow, 2018, where I was serving good there. Everybody was telling me that I'm one of the best ones. I think I'm also have good aces from the stats here on tour. Also it's a motivation for me to be one of the best server on tour.

Q. About the Grand Slam Development Fund, a program which is helping a lot of players take the next step in their careers. You were one of those players at one stage. Could I ask how important you feel this program is?

ONS JABEUR: I think it's a great program. I was lucky enough to be chosen by the ITF. They helped me I think it was back in 2017. That was the time where I break through the top hundred.

It was very helpful because tennis is a very difficult sport financially. If you find that kind of support, if you find that, you probably have a certain amount will help you, then yeah, you can focus more on playing tennis. I think that's what I did. I had a coach. I had a team behind me. I think that's what I needed to more focus on tennis than the money outside.

Q. Who or what inspires you? When you're on the court in the middle of a match as important as the one you've just played, what do you feel? What does it feel like for you?

ONS JABEUR: I get inspired by many, many players. I got to say either tennis players or even other athletes. Before everybody knows Andy Roddick is my favorite, my idol, before. I looked up to many players. Actually I got congratulated by Roger after my match, which was amazing. I think now I'm good in my tennis career (laughter).

He was very nice. He took the time to say congrats. That inspires me a lot and gives me the hunger to win more.

What I feel on the court? I feel like honestly a little bit stressed, which is good because it means that I care about the match. But I try to prepare myself as much as I can. I try to keep confident on the court. It's very important. Playing against players from top 10 is never easy.

So, yeah, I always try to keep my calm and be able to play my best tennis.

Q. I heard some Arabic and Tunisian chants at the end of your match. What does it feel like that you're playing at Wimbledon and hearing Arabic chants in the stands? I can't imagine what it feels like.

ONS JABEUR: Tunisians are everywhere, I got to say (smiling).

Yeah, they were singing actually a football song. I felt the need to sing with them also (laughter). I felt so happy that I wanted, like, to hear more. I was doing like this to hear them.

It's amazing to hear, like, even playing against an amazing player, Iga, but most of the crowd were helping me and supporting me. I was hearing more my name. It gives me a lot of confidence.

Honestly, I appreciate it a lot. I hope they come even more for the next match.