“Maybe the old me would have lost” – Mentally tough Jabeur didn’t let 2022 heartbreak curtail her

When heartbreak hit Ons Jabeur in 2022, evolution was the solution she sought.

Ons Jaber 2023 Wimbledon | Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic

July 13, 2023

She was quick to point it out on Centre Court, after winning from a set down for the third time in her last four matches to reach her second consecutive Wimbledon final: “I’m very proud of myself because maybe the old me would have lost the match today and went back home already, but I’m glad that I kept digging very deep and finding the strength.”

And there, in a nutshell, is the essence of Ons Jabeur in 2023. An injury-marred first half of the season could have stolen her self-belief, as talk of a new WTA “Big Three” percolated with nary a mention of her.

Operating with an elite new mindset 💪#Wimbledon | @Ons_Jabeur pic.twitter.com/6Bm8j28kAu
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2023

Instead, she has used the positivity of her tremendous, trailblazing 2022, and refused to stop dreaming about – and believing in – her chances of becoming a Grand Slam champion.

We should have seen this brilliant run coming.

The woman who became the first Arab and Tunisian player to ever reach a Grand Slam final last year at Wimbledon never wanted to stop there. The heartbreak of falling short in last year’s final at Wimbledon, and again in the US Open final, has only spurred her on, serving to guide her back to the final, and now she intends to cash in the currency of lessons hard-learned in Saturday’s final against Marketa Vondrousova.

“I’m working on myself like crazy”

A year ago, Jabeur admits, she might not have been able to navigate a draw as difficult as the one she has faced during these Championships. She has defeated four former Grand Slam champions, three top 10 and two top 5 talents to earn her shot at history.

The world No 6 insists that her mental game, finely tuned with the help of her “mental coach” Melanie Maillard, is the straw that stirs the drink.

“12 months ago for sure,” Jabeur says when asked which “old me” she was referring to. “Maybe also a little bit before, like six months ago. [I’m] a different player. … I’m working on myself like crazy. You have no idea what I’m doing – I’m very tough with myself, try to improve everything.

“For me, I always believed in mental, in working on it. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past years since I was maybe 10 years old because I know if you are not ready physically, mentally you can always win.”

Yes, @Ons_Jabeur won this match 🤯 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/7yjOzuKbBc
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2023

Now it’s time for Jabeur to put everything together into a winning package in Saturday’s final. The last step is always the toughest, and that’s something she learned about in 2022.

“I would say I always believed,” she said. “But sometimes you would question and doubt it if it’s going to happen, if it’s ever going to happen. Being in the last stages, I think it does help you believe more.

“For me, I’m going to learn a lot from not only Wimbledon’s final but also US Open final, and give it my best. Maybe this year was all about trying two times and getting it right the third time.”