THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2022

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/K. Kawa

6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Ons, give us your thoughts on your performance today.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, obviously good match for me after a long wait. I'm happy that I got the win. I'm happy that I got to play today.

Just going to keep continue playing better and better hopefully.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You keep getting better and better. You love grass so much. Are you starting to think about the draw, about where you are now, next matches?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean, I love grass. I love playing here. I don't look at the draw much, but I know who's on my side obviously.

Yeah, I'm just going to keep focusing more on myself, more doing what I love to do, imposing my game. I'm just loving playing here. I hope my game will keep improving for the next matches.

Q. Did you speak with Serena after yesterday's match? Of course, you are in contact. Did you speak with her?

ONS JABEUR: We are not that close yet (smiling). But obviously tough match. I'm not sure. We didn't speak really.

Q. If you look back on your career, I think the beginning of your career you have been struggling a little bit because of the circumstances, you have been supported by player Grand Slam grant from ITF, and you got married and you get support from your husband. If you pick one or two turning points of your career, the most important decision, what it would have been?

ONS JABEUR: Honestly, I don't like to pick just one because I feel like there is so many things that helped me be the person that I am today, where I am today.

I took a lot of great decisions. Obviously the grant from ITF really helped me a lot to be in the top hundred and to get good things started for me.

I am slow, and sometimes I start things slow. My game is not the same game as other players, so that's why it was more difficult for me to adapt.

Also bringing my husband to be my fitness coach did help me a lot for my career. But I think maybe back in 2019 when everything changed in my head. I was like really fed up with the situation being in maybe 80, 60. I knew my place was in top 10. I was like, Okay, enough is enough. Now it's time to organize my work and really believe more in myself.

That's how the quarterfinal of Australian Open happened in 2020. Everything started to happen, winning more titles, improving my game. Lucky enough to have a great team beside me, Tunisian team, that it's really easy for me to communicate with them and easy for them to understand me, my culture and everything.

Q. You mentioned rankings. It's a shame that Wimbledon doesn't have ranking points. Is there a part of that that maybe takes the pressure off, not the pressure, but some of the pressure because there's no rankings pressure on you?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean, for me Grand Slam is a Grand Slam. It's always stressful to play big tournaments. It suits me well for the race. I'm glad that I'm staying second.

The ranking, not really. But it is what it is. I don't like to focus on the negative things. Like I said, if I win this, I'll be the only player to win a Grand Slam without points.