“I don’t regret losing in the final last year – it happened for a reason” – Reflective Jabeur looks forward to second Wimbledon semi-final

Ons Jabeur is looking forward to another Wimbledon semi-final, this time against Aryna Sabalenka

Ons Jabeur at Wimbledon in 2023 (Action Plus/Panoramic)

July 12, 2023

Ons Jabeur is through to a second consecutive Wimbledon semi-final having avenged herself on the woman who beat her for the title last year.

The Tunisian defeated Elena Rybakina 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1 to set up a last-four clash with Aryna Sabalenka, and told reporters afterwards that although she had made a joke on court about reversing 2022 and 2023’s results, she wouldn’t change it.

“I believe last year maybe I wasn’t ready to play this kind of match,” she said. “I don’t regret last year. It happened for a reason. I always say it. It was meant to be this year. It was meant to be in the quarter-finals.

Jabeur: Sometimes I’m stubborn

She also had plenty of praise for her coach, Issam Jellali, even though she admitted that in the quarter-final she only followed his plan “70 per cent” rather than the “200 per cent” she had been aiming for. She explained that he had helped her analyse last year’s defeat despite the inevitable pain it caused her.

“As much as it’s painful, I try to speak with my coach, get his view. I believe I have honestly the best coach on tour because he’s really very, very good. He’s trying to help me as much as he can. Sometimes I’m stubborn, which makes me me as a player.

“From these matches, preparing for these matches, the finals or any other match, I do 100 per cent, so I try not to regret anything at the end.

“If I did miss something, then honestly I’m just a human being. I cannot be so tough with myself. But I am tough with myself sometimes because I need to. To be able to be in these stages, I believe that I need to be tough with myself in certain situations, but not do it a lot because it will probably destroy me.”