THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2021

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/G. Muguruza

5-7, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Nerves are a funny thing. I wanted to ask you about the moment just before match point. I don't want to go into too much detail, I know it's happened to you before. Can you tell us about that moment? Was it just nerves? Were you also exhausted?

ONS JABEUR: I'm actually having a problem with my stomach. I have inflammation. It has been going on for a while. Yeah, it bothers me probably with the stress, fatigue, everything.

Sometimes when I drink water, the water doesn't go through any more (smiling). That's why I get sick. Honestly, I don't want to interrupt the players, so I try to get rid of it and just continue playing.

But, yeah, just to be clear, I know everybody was talking about it, even here I hear, it's something that has been bothering me for a long time and I'm trying to deal with it.

Q. You're okay, is the short answer?

ONS JABEUR: I am okay. I just have to throw up (smiling).

Q. In terms of nerves in more of a wide sense, did you find that you warmed into the match and they went away as time went on?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean, a lot of emotions during this match. You can see me getting angry, smiling, laughing. So, yeah, it's kind of part of my personality here.

Playing such an amazing player like her is not easy. You have to take your opportunity whenever you have it. The first set was so close. I couldn't find the rhythm in my serve. That's why I got a little bit frustrated. I tried to come back. Then she breaks me again. It was a little bit frustrating.

But the second set I tried to stay calmer. I think it went even better. Third set even more better. I got a little bit nervous at the end because I knew I had to really just, like, finish and win my serve at the end.

Q. She saved so many breakpoints. Somehow you kept at it. What were you telling yourself to not get frustrated by all those opportunities that were slipping away from you?

ONS JABEUR: That drove me crazy at certain time. Let's be honest (laughter).

On grass, when you hit a good serve, you really in a big trouble returning, you know. For some reason she was hitting amazing serve every time I had a breakpoint. So I was trying to return. You give an easy ball for her, she can finish right away.

What I was telling myself is to accept that she can serve good, accept that she can really play good after, and she's going to fight to get, you know, kind of the breakpoint back.

Even like sometimes it was so close, the third set, when I was going for 4-1, then she corrected. It was insane. A lot of emotion that game.

But, you know, I'm happy I stayed focused and believed I could get even more breakpoints.

Q. It's Friday. For us and most Arab countries Friday is our weekend. You're playing early afternoon.

ONS JABEUR: Good timing.

Q. You're playing on Centre Court against a former champion. For you, what do you think this means for our part of the world?

ONS JABEUR: It means a lot. Especially so many Arab people watching me and supporting me. I've received a lot of message from different people. It's amazing. But I don't want the journey to stop here. I want to continue.

I'm doing amazing. I'm getting more and more confident on the court. I mean, hopefully whoever is watching, I hope that so many young generation is watching, and I can inspire them. Hopefully one day I could be playing with a lot of players next to me.

Q. Why do you think there have been so few Arab female players in tennis?

ONS JABEUR: Well, I mean, there is a lot of things. Sometimes you need someone to inspire you and show you the path. We are not known to have a lot of tennis player. We had few. We had good ones. Sometimes when you show the path to someone -- I know myself, I struggled sometimes to see. I didn't believe in myself because I didn't see many Tunisian before me. Sometimes you just have to put the words, to say that even if I practiced like in Tunisia, but I still believed in it and worked hard to be here, you know.

But I hope, like, one day this could change. I hope we can change this mentality and many other players could come here and believe in themselves. Sometimes you're just, like, a little bit far, and you can make it and believe in your dreams.

Q. A far less significant matter I want to ask you about. Early on, I believe the second game, that shot around the net post, what was your reaction to that? Have you pulled that off before? Is that something you even have tried in practice?

ONS JABEUR: No, I never tried it. I was always, like, looking to different players doing this shot. I wanted to have this shot one day. It came through today.

Actually I thought I was far because I was going to the other direction. Then she surprised me going again cross. At the end I just did like that. I think I hit the post little bit. I was scared it could dive a little bit out out.

Honestly, it's going to be one of my favorite shots that I ever did.

Q. You of course are well-known as a fairly tricky player who can come up with many different shots. At the same time I heard many players saying that you are quite tricky off the court. You like to joke in front of the people, make people surprise. This question might sound a little bit silly, but I'm asking seriously. Do you think that off-court personality works good on your play on the court?

ONS JABEUR: I mean, I always said that my game always reflects my character. I'm someone that doesn't like routine. Changing the shots and having fun on the court, making a lot of jokes outside the court, it reflects me as a person.

I always believe that I try to be nice to all players. I try to joke with a lot of players. I hope they don't take my jokes badly (smiling). But I try to be fun.

I feel like tennis is a great work, but tennis will be over in few years. What really stays is your personality. I believe in that, you know, a lot.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the Olympics. Obviously you've been named in the team for the Olympics. You're already a national hero at home. How much are you looking forward to playing there and also whether you might be in contention perhaps to carry the flag at the opening ceremony?

ONS JABEUR: I have no idea about the flag yet. I mean, I'm not going to be upset if they don't choose me obviously. But I would be very happy if they do.

It's an honor to always represent Tunisia. Even playing at Wimbledon and other Grand Slams, I feel like I not just play for myself but always play for my country. I played two times before, but this time is special. This time I'm coming with more confidence, more experience, one of the players that everybody is waiting for to kind of have a medal, let's see.

I'm going to go give my best there and try to represent my country as better as I can.

Q. What are your memories of the earliest times you watched Wimbledon, maybe imagined yourself playing in it?

ONS JABEUR: Actually, like I said, I don't watch a lot of tennis. But the match that stayed in my mind was Andy Roddick and Federer's final. I was shooting for Andy because he's my favorite player. Yeah, always looked up to him, see how they're playing. It's unbelievable.

Also I was emotional when Andy Murray won here. It's always nice to see a national hero achieving after trying a lot of times. So many players, they inspire me. I've watched few, but it was very memorable moments for me.

Q. Over the past few years, what in your development, your game, mental, whatever, have you been most happy about in yourself?

ONS JABEUR: I think I'm more consistent in my game. I'm more believing in my shots. Before I can play any shots, but in my mind is not clear. When I put in my head that I should do this, should do that, step by step I think everything got clearer in my head. I know which shot to do. I'm more confident, I have more experience.

So I think that helped me a lot to be a better player on the court, also a dangerous one. You have the talent, but it could be a good thing and bad thing at the same time because when you don't know what to do with that, you just don't win matches.

As soon as I got that clear in my head, the matches and the wins are coming.

Q. You have another Grand Slam champion ahead of you in Iga Swiatek. What do you make of Iga? What kind of threat do you think she poses on grass?

ONS JABEUR: She has a very good serve, I got to say. When she has time with her forehand, she can be very dangerous. I've practice with her a few times, we warm up together. She's a very nice person. I really enjoy being with her outside and maybe also during the court, like the practices.

It's going to be a tricky match. It's going to be a tough match. I know she's very strong mentally. She doesn't want to let go any point. I'm going to do the best that I can to win this match.

Q. Before you go out on court, you're talking with your coach, obviously you have a game plan. How much does he allow you to kind of go out and express yourself, kind of go with the flow when you're in the heat of battle?

ONS JABEUR: Well, actually before the match, like with my coach, this is very good point because I think the good thing that I improve during the years is the strategy with him, the statistic before the match, what I'm doing good, what I'm doing not good obviously.

Having a clear idea about her, but not really focusing on her, but focusing more about me, helps me a lot to be ready on the court. You have a lot of options. You can see which is a good thing to play or not good. I think that helps me a lot to be ready on the court.

Q. You set a Centre Court record today for winning 16 points in a row, since they've been counting for 20 years. What were you feeling early in the third set?

ONS JABEUR: I really didn't want to waste a lot of energy during the third set. I wanted to put pressure from the beginning, especially when I had a lot of breakpoints before.

When she started serving, especially on the other side, because it was kind of sunny, not the same as serving from where I was, I was trying to be just aggressive, show her that I'm still here, physically I'm still here.

I tried to really be more loose on the court. It worked really good until the third game when she came back. But I tried to break her as much as I can because I know it was very, very important.

Q. When did you first imagine as a child maybe that you'd have the opportunity to play at Wimbledon, what your memories of that imagination are?

ONS JABEUR: I was, like I said before, it was very personal for me to be able to become No. 1 or win Grand Slams. I think from the young age I knew that I could be one of the best players. Sometimes you believe more in it and sometimes when you go through hard times it's normal you don't have as much confidence as before.

I got to say the first Grand Slam I was dreaming about was Roland Garros. Then when I started to watch more and more at Wimbledon, because we don't have grass courts in Tunisia, so everybody was telling me with my game I think the court will suit you, you will play amazing.

I start playing juniors here, and it was good. I didn't win here, but it was still impressive to play on grass. Watching, like I said, a lot of great matches gives you even more to come here and win here.

Q. Quick question about the dropshot. Is it your favorite shot or has a coach ever told you to maybe cut it out or don't try so many?

ONS JABEUR: I had so many coach telling me to cut the dropshot out.

Listen, it's a tricky shot, it's a good shot. Sometimes when you do a lot of it, it's bad. So I'm finally happy with my team that they are supporting me and giving me the right timing and telling me when to do it. Not really telling me when to do it, but supporting me.

Sometimes you can surprise the player with a dropshot, sometimes you can do a good one, and you have an easy ball after. I always try to make good shots before and be able and be aggressive to be able to change the rhythm with the dropshot.

But I've always been stubborn and never listen to the coach when they tell me not to do a dropshot (smiling).