She got scared, but Ons Jabeur holds her first Grand Slam final well. After 1h43 of play, the Tunisian won this Thursday against Tatjana Maria in a disjointed match at Wimbledon (6-2, 3-6, 6-1). After largely winning the first set, the second in the world tensed up in the second set, before unfolding towards victory.
It’s more than a Grand Slam final that awaits Ons Jabeur, but a date with history. The Tunisian has become the first player from the African continent to qualify for a Grand Slam final in the Open era. Before her, the last semi-final of an African player dates back to 1997. At the time, South African Amanda Coetzer had reached the last four at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
“It’s a dream come true”
Happy with her qualification, the Tunisian player spoke in front of the microphones of the central court of Wimbledon. “It’s a dream come true after years of hard work and sacrifice,” she said. Acclaimed by the public, she did not hide her pride in finding herself in the final of a Grand Slam.
“I am a proud Tunisian woman to stand here. I know they must be crazy in Tunisia right now, she imagined smiling. I try to give as much inspiration as I can, I want to see more Tunisian, Arab and African players on the circuit. »
Facing her, the 103rd in the world and one of the great stories of the tournament, Tatjana Maria, was able to be dangerous. “She owes me a barbecue for all the races she forced me to do on the court,” laughed Ons Jabeur. She remains undefeated this year on grass after her title in Berlin two weeks ago. In the final, she will face Elena Rybakina or Simona Halep on Saturday July 9.