Having broken ground as the first Arab men’s or women’s player in the world’s top 10, Ons Jabeur doesn’t want to stop there, the Tunisian is eyeing a grand slam title and the top ranking in 2023.
Despite four months as world No.2, however, there’s still a mountain to climb for 28-year-old Jabeur, with Roland Garros and US Open champion Iga Swiatek at the top of the summit and holding a massive points lead.
Ons Jabeur has set some big goals for the coming year.Credit:AP
But Jabeur, who broke through last year by reaching the Wimbledon and US Open finals, is happy to have bold aspirations.
“Yeah, that [the No.1 spot] is definitely the goal for this year. I’m going for it,” said Jabeur of chasing down Swiatek, the Polish star who slotted into the No.1 spot and made it her own after Ash Barty retired in March.
“I want to have the [playing] level to be a No. 1 player, because it’s a huge responsibility, and I want to be able to handle that kind of responsibility.
“For me, I’ve always been someone who has their goals very clear in their head. That’s definitely a huge goal for me.”
Jabeur has been making inroads in tennis for years, determined to continue her role-model status for aspiring African and Muslim players. Her junior French Open title in 2011 meant she was the first North African woman to win a junior grand slam event.
Ons Jabeur made two grand slam finals last year.Credit:AP
“For me it [tennis tapping into new talent] has to start somewhere. I’m very happy that it started with me,” she said.
“I’m just trying to give, you know, the best example. My dream is to see more and more players playing for my country, [and] from the Middle East, from Africa.
“Tennis is such a beautiful sport. I always like to send a message that nothing is really impossible. If you want to be professional tennis player, no matter where you come from you can do it.”
Ons Jabeur and victor Iga Swiatek (right) after the 2022 US Open women’s final.Credit:Getty Images
Now Jabeur, who boasts a crafty game style that consistently frustrates opponents, wants to start her own academy, preferably in Tunisia and hopefully while she is still an active player.
“It is very important because we have a lot of talented players [who] just need the right push and the right belief to be here,” Jabeur said.
With an array of difficult shots at her disposal, from relentless slicing to changes of pace and some dinky shots, her rare playing characteristics almost took her to last year’s Wimbledon title, Jabeur going up a set before Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina found her groove and won a gripping final.
With Jabeur, there are some reminders of Barty, whose famous backhand slice and court craft took the Australian to the undisputed world No.1 position and a major winner on three different surfaces – in Paris, London and Melbourne – in the past four years.
While Barty was an especially tough opponent for the Tunisian, Jabeur is hopeful of matching some of the Australian’s achievements and following her path.
“What bothers the most [for opponents] is the slice and the changing of the rhythm, because obviously when you change the pace [and] the height of the ball, that doesn’t really help the player to do whatever they want,” Jabeur said.
“For most of the players [on tour] they hit very flat and very hard, that’s not the best game for them.”
Barty’s shock decision, aged 25, to simply walk away stunned Australia. But it was less of a surprise for Jabeur, given their extensive time on tour together.
“I was not 100 per cent surprised to be honest with you, because knowing Ash I know she just loves to achieve something and then just move on to another thing,” said Jabeur.
“I think she had enough of tennis and it was a big loss for us definitely. I’m a big fan of Ash and I love seeing her play because obviously we have the same style on the court. It’s nice to see very confident, making every shot that she likes to make.
“[I’m] definitely missing seeing her play. Hopefully as someone who kinds of plays like her, we’ll do the same as she did before.”
Inspiration to excel comes from other sports, too, as Jabeur, a big soccer fan, got to experience the World Cup up close, attending the World Cup final between Argentina and France and monitoring Tunisia’s progress in a group which included Australia.
“I did watch [the Socceroos’ win against Tunisia] unfortunately,” Jabeur said. “Not very happy with what Tunisia did, but definitely in that group Australia surprised everyone.”
Watch all the action from the summer of tennis, including the United Cup, live on Channel Nine, 9Gem and 9NOW.
