Sounds: Ons Jabeur: Last year’s Wimbledon final loss was disappointing, desire to win has grown stronger

If there’s one current women’s tennis player who deserves a Wimbledon title, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur certainly ranks high on the list. Jabeur reached back-to-back Wimbledon finals in the past two years but fell short against Elena Rybakina and Petra Kvitova, twice missing her chance to claim her first Grand Slam championship.

Ons Jabeur in action

In both championship matches, Jabeur had her chances. In a recent interview, the Tunisian revealed that last year’s Wimbledon final was one of the most painful losses of her career, stating that she experienced a panic attack before the match, which affected her performance.

“I had a panic attack before the final, and it ruined everything for me,” Jabeur said. “It was hard for me to manage all the emotions. The panic attack started during the warm-up, and I tried to do a lot of breathing exercises, but it didn’t help. I wish I had an extra day to deal with it because the person on Centre Court that day wasn’t really me.”

Unknown to many, if Jabeur had triumphed at Wimbledon last year, she had plans with her husband Karim to start a family and welcome a new addition. However, those plans were put on hold until after securing a major title.

“It was one of the toughest losses I’ve ever had, and it took me some time to mentally recover from it. It was very difficult for me. I took a break and spent time at home with my family. I had many conversations with my husband and my mental coach.

“I shared my emotions and expressed my disappointment. Winning my first Grand Slam title, I wanted to start a family, and I was so close at Wimbledon last year, but it didn’t happen. What happened was very frustrating, having a panic attack before the final. But I’m here to keep improving, and I hope I can handle such situations better in the future.”

Despite the pain of defeat, Jabeur says her longing for the Wimbledon crown is even greater now.

“After last year, I’m even more eager to win Wimbledon. It’s become more challenging after experiencing that, but losing the second final was disappointing. I had to choose between dwelling in that disappointment and adopting a more positive mindset. I tried to look forward, motivate myself to come back here, and think about how to lift that beautiful trophy. Wimbledon is always in my heart, and I’ve been adjusting my game, hoping to get better on grass.”

(Translated by Wang Fei)