WIMBLEDON, England (Ons Jabeur’s steady progress year after year, in tennis rankings, through tournament draws and, now, at Wimbledon, has led her to a Grand Slam final, the first African and Arab woman to pass so far in the pro era.
No. 3 Jabeur, a 27-year-old Tunisian, beat her friend Tatjana Maria 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in an eventful semifinal on sunny center court. On Thursday.
“I need to go further, motivate many other generations. Tunisia is linked to the Arab world, it is linked to the African continent.
Heading into a final first Grand Slam ?? @Ons_Jabeur defeated Tatjana Maria 6-2, 3-6, 6-1#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic. twitter. com/tnNObItxw3
On Saturday, she will face the player making her final main debut, 17th seed Elena Rybakina, for the championship. 3 at the semi-last moment.
“I’ve already done a lot of things,” Rybakina said, “and it’s time to enjoy it. “
After an unexpected defeat in the first round of Roland Garros in May, Jabeur is on a roll: he has won 11 consecutive matches, all on grass, and 22 of his last 24. Since professional players were first admitted to primary tennis tournaments in 1968, never before had an African or Arab participated in a Slam final.
The men’s semifinals will take place on Friday, with three-time protective champion and seed no. 1 Novak Djokovic pitting Britain No. nine Cameron Norrie, and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal against Nick Kyrgios, unqualified. Nadal wondered if he would even be entering his semifinal after battling a five-set victory over Taylor Fritz on Wednesday.
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Nadal held a limited education consultation on Thursday, focusing basically on the forehand and backhand. When he tried to pull out, which was a real challenge the day before, he did so without employing all his strength or throwing his frame into his shipments.
Jabeur has gained prominence in world tennis in recent seasons. In 2020, at the Australian Open, she became the first Arab woman to reach the quarterfinals of an elementary tournament. Last year marked all sorts of milestones: the first Arab player to enter the top 10 most sensible men’s or women’s rankings; first Arab to win a WTA title; quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Now she has two steps better.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s a dream come true after years and years of painting and sacrifice. I’m pleased that it’s paying off,” Jabeur said with a broad smile. “One more game now. “
At the end of their semi-final, she and Maria, a 34-year-old German mother with two children and ranked 103rd, met in the net to give each other a long hug. Jabeur whispered anything in his boyfrifinish’s ear. Then, after dropping her racket into the look line, Jabeur returned to the center of the box for the same old greeting from the winner to the crowd, except that, instead of going alone, she dragged Maria with her, a gesture, and cheered on the spectators. greet the player on the wrong side of the end line.
“I surely looked to share the moment with her at the end, because she’s a huge inspiration to a lot of players who added me,” Jabeur said. “Coming back after having two young children, I still don’t know how he did it. “. “
Before their semi-final, Jabeur and Maria stood side by side, waiting to take a stroll through the stadium corridors leading to the field. Despite how close they were, the pair have avoided exchanging glances or chatting.
Close friends, yes. That day, matches at war too, with a lot of scenery, level and at stake.
“I wanted to share this moment with her at the end because she’s a huge inspiration for a lot of players, adding to me,” @Ons_Jabeur in @Maria_Tatjana #Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic. twitter. com/JfOerhF1qC
Neither had reached a Grand Slam semi-final before. Maria had never made it past the third round in any of her more than 34 major appearances, and she only did so once, at Wimbledon in 2015.
The two hang out together. They are, to use Jabeur’s term, “barbecue companions. “Jabeur knows Maria’s two daughters so well that the German nicknamed her “Aunt Ons. “
“She’s from our family,” Maria said.
Both offer varied and fast tennis brands. At the time of the match, Jabeur won a point using cushioning at the back of the serve. Maria likes to hit cut forehands; Jabeur, quite capable of performing hard rear blows, joined this from time to time.
After a set first set set, Jabeur much less effective in the second. Suddenly, the errors began to accumulate quickly. Your service less self-confident. Mary took full credit for it. And then, suddenly, Jabeur returned to his best, going back with a 5-0 merit in the third in 20 minutes.
After 17 direct fouls in the set at the moment, Jabeur made a remarkably low average of 3 for the rest of the course. Maria just couldn’t stay awake.
“Very sensitive player,” Rybakina said of Jabeur. It would not be easy to play against her.
Rybakina, who has never made it past the primary quarterfinals so far, leads the circuit in aces this year and added five to his total on Thursday. More unexpected was the way Halep never started, especially on her serve, committing a double fault nine times.
Halep had won her last 12 games at the All England Club, a series that began with the career of her name 3 years ago. Wimbledon cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Halep was unable to compete a year ago because she tore her left calf. muscle.