ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2025

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Ons, welcome back to Roland Garros. How has your preparation been and how does it feel to be back?

ONS JABEUR: Preparation is great. I had a week back home in Tunisia after Rome and then this week here at Roland Garros hitting with different players. Hopefully we did our maximum and hopefully we can be ready for the match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When you go back home, what is that like? How do you get away from tennis when you're home?

ONS JABEUR: I don't. I usually practice a lot. No, we have like a good structure, private. We just practice with my team. We had to work like a mini pre-season for the week after Rome. It was nice. It was nice to rebuild, feeling good in the body, not hurting everything. It was helpful to get some training.

But it was very nice to be home. It's always nice to sleep in your own bed. It's always amazing. Yeah, hopefully it will be worth it.

Q. Obviously things haven't always been easy for you this year. Mentally do you come in here with low expectations in the sense of less pressure? Do you feel that might help you play freely?

ONS JABEUR: I hope so. I always demand more from myself even though I know I haven't played a lot of matches on clay and I know maybe confidence-wise is not amazing.

It's a different approach. Let's put it that way. Let's see what is going to happen. I know I have the game. I know I can play amazing. Just need to click. I hope it will happen.

All I know is I've been giving 100% and even more during practice. We had amazing two weeks of practice. I'll try my best so I don't regret it. Hopefully all the good energy will be my way.

Q. Did you see what Caroline Garcia posted about playing through injury? Athletes seem to be taught that's maybe an honorable and necessary thing. In your experience, have you found the need to push yourself and play and compete even if you are dealing with physical problems? Maybe if at any point in your career that changed for you?

ONS JABEUR: Every point of my career was like that, I guess. Yeah, it's very tough to deal with injuries. Probably to say when to stop and when to push, that's very tough. I think not just for injuries, but also when you're tired. You don't know if you need to push through it to be better physically or to rest because you don't want to get injured.

I guess in the first time of my career was last year during the US Open. I decided to stop and not play. That decision came very late because I was suffering with my shoulder a lot. I couldn't play. It was affecting my game. It was affecting my confidence.

Yeah, pushing through injury I've been doing, like, my whole life. We have a lot of guilt inside us saying we're not doing enough or it's not enough, the pressure from sponsors, the pressure from the ranking, the pressure of providing, I don't know, some different players provide for their families as well. It is a very tough sport unfortunately. I'm learning. I'm 30 years old, but I'm still learning in that.

It's nice to talk to different players and see that they are feeling the same thing about it.

Q. How tough has it been for you with visas over your career traveling so much? One of our friends is not here because of that reason. What have your experiences been with that?

ONS JABEUR: I love my country. I love Tunisia. It is very tough to get visas. I mean, with a certain status lately, it was better. At least I can get four or five year visa. At the beginning of my career it was very tough. It takes a lot of time. Sometimes you just get six months visa for Europe. You cannot have that. You just have to reapply again. It takes a lot of paperworks. It takes time for the visa to be ready. It's been a nightmare during my career.

It is very tough to deal with that. But yeah, it's one more thing to add to all the things that we deal with.

Q. Have you ever missed a tournament because of that?

ONS JABEUR: Maybe not. I'm very organized person. Sometimes I try to, Okay, this visa ends that time. I remember my coach once we were at the airport going to Berlin, then to UK. He was like, My visa expired.

I'm like, Really? This is when you check it?

We had to do everything. Really thanks to the UK, we got the visa very, very quick. That was really unbelievable. Yeah, it was the time I think where I did the second final or the first final. I can't remember, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. In what kind of shape are you? How do you feel?

ONS JABEUR: I'm feeling good. I prepared well in Tunis after Rome. I needed to work on the physical elements. I was also trying to get more confidence because I haven't played much this year, especially on clay. I've been trying to get back to the court and do my best, hoping that things will get better.

Q. You know represent the Arab and African world here. You inspire a lot of players from Arabic countries. Does it make you happy or does it weigh on you and give you more responsibilities in your professional career? Does it make you stronger?

ONS JABEUR: I've enjoyed responsibility or liked responsibility ever since I was young. I'm trying to set an example. I would have liked to see more players like me when I was growing up. But I hope I'm giving a good example.

I'm happy that Benjamin Hassan qualified today. For Habib and Aziz, they had a difficult draw. We hope to see more and more Arabic players on the tour. I hope this happens.

These are good kind of responsibilities. I hope to be able to continue.

Q. What do you think about tennis in the Arab world? Do you think it is progressing? What is necessary for it to advance?

ONS JABEUR: Yes, I believe it's improving. There's more and more players. But I feel that the federations have to work even more and help the players, support the players better. They need a better structure so that they do not have to be worried about money or sponsors.

You need coaches that support you well. The talents are there, but we just have to be ready to support them for them to have a better career.

I don't know. Maybe we need a better federation in Egypt, Tunisia, the Middle East, I don't know. But I'm certain that we can help them there.

Q. You believe there's something to be done to get this tennis to improve. What message would you give to the Arab or African players, especially women players?

ONS JABEUR: I'm always open to talking to them, to giving them advice, sharing my experience that maybe people don't recognize or don't know. This might help them.

I also try to be in contact with the people I know. Why not one day create my own academy to share my experience and see more Arab women players fulfill their dreams.

I believe the talent is there. What they need is the right support. We need to show them the direction and open the doors and hope that things get better.

I believe you should always believe in your dreams. You have to work hard for that, not let anything go. If I'm here, it's because I had this belief.