THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 30, 2021

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/V. Williams

7-5, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell me, how did that feel? Very tight first set but then you found your groove. How do you feel about the match?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, was nervous. It's not easy to play someone like Venus, and it was quite an experience for me. Yeah, it was -- actually I couldn't do my shots, which was a little bit complicated at the beginning, but then after, at the end, I tried like to stay focused and just play my game. It was great at the end especially.

Q. I don't know if you saw what she said about you before the match, but if you did, how did it feel to see her say these things about you?

ONS JABEUR: I did. She's actually very nice. The words she said, it was unbelievable. It made me like motivate me even more, you know. Like I said before, I always try to inspire other generation, the fact that what Venus says, that I am doing it and I'm doing a great job at it, encourage me even more to keep doing what I'm doing right now.

Q. You have Garbi next. How do you see that matchup?

ONS JABEUR: Very tough match. I mean, she plays good on grass. The grass suits her game, honestly. I'm just gonna take it one point at a time. We played before, but it was different conditions. But, you know, I'm just gonna try to play my game, and we'll talk to my coach and see what we can do.

The most important thing for me is really to get in there and then have pleasure on the court.

Q. You have obviously had success elsewhere, but I'm wondering, respect to Wimbledon, third round for the first time, what does this tournament mean to you in general?

ONS JABEUR: Honestly, I love playing on the grass. It suits a lot my game.

I feel like if I'm feeling good on this surface, then I can do great job.

It wasn't a coincidence that I won my first title on grass in Birmingham. For me, it's just to continue to play good here. And I love being here, love being in London, I love, like, the crowd. Even though sometimes if you play English player or British player, they always supporting you. They don't make you feel like you're an outsider. Even today it was kind of fair, you know.

I enjoy playing here a lot, and I really cannot wait to play after tomorrow.

Q. So you discovered on court in the interview at the end that Garbine Muguruza is next for you. I may be horrifying you by saying after that possibly you might face Iga Swiatek. So you have Grand Slam champions all over the place in your path here.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean...

Q. How does that feel?

ONS JABEUR: I usually don't look at the draw, because I want to just -- it's not because I'm scared to play any players, but I try to take each match at a time. I try not to anticipate, and that's what makes me play better maybe.

I don't like to, like, think about the next round or I didn't even play this round, you know, yet. But honestly, I'm ready for everything, you know. I think now I'm gonna take this match.

I think she plays amazing on grass, and, yeah, she's always down and likes to play every ball hard. It's going to be an interesting match. For me, I'm just gonna try to do everything possible and obviously try to play my game, because I know it could bother her.

Today the serve wasn't amazing, so I'm just going to try to focus on my serve and return better. Some keys I'm going to work on tomorrow during the practice.

Q. You have won more matches than anyone else this year, you and Sabalenka. Are you feeling it in your game and mentally do you feel more confident stepping on court, or does it not matter at this point when you're facing a Muguruza in a third round at a slam?

ONS JABEUR: I think it does matter, because, you know, before I used to like step in like someone just coming in to play a tournament, but like now I have more experience, I have more confidence, I want to win so bad, and I want to try my best.

I set up high goals, and I think the fact that I was winning a lot of matches gives me more experience. I have lost before very tough matches, and I think now with experience right now it's going to help me manage the game, especially against Muguruza.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the whole thing inspiring others. For you personally, how much an inspiration did you get growing up? There was Selima, there was some Moroccans. Were you following the Moroccans or were you too young? What was Selima's influence as well?

ONS JABEUR: It's interesting, because I really don't watch a lot of tennis even before when I was young, you know. I think my husband watched more than me, and he was more obsessed about Roland Garros more than me, and tennis.

I think I grew up with a goal in my head to really be one of the good players. It was like very, very personal for me.

Yeah, and of course I know about Selima, I know about the Moroccan, but I didn't have a chance to watch them play. It's funny because everybody compares me to Hicham Arazi, which actually I'm talking to him and he's very nice and he's given me a lot of advice. Since he really was talented player and everybody is, like, Oh, man, you remind me of Hicham Arazi, unbelievable.

I mean, it's an honor for me. And I've watched some videos of him playing, because I was, like, interested. I have to see this guy how he plays and everything. And I heard about him, of course, before.

Honestly, they really inspired me, and I am trying to do the same here. I like to see how French people are together, Americans, Australian, and I feel like I want to see this, you know, with my country. It doesn't matter, Tunisia or Egypt or Morocco, I really want to see more and more players.

Hopefully, you never know. Maybe now someone is watching and wants to be here in my place. I just want to say if I did it, it's not impossible.

Q. How did you get to speak with Hicham? Did he reach out to you?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, he did. He was very nice. I didn't see -- he was actually writing me on Instagram and I didn't see his messages. For some reason after Roland Garros this year I saw -- and he was writing me since Australian Open, you know, 2020.

I'm, like, I didn't see your messages. Such an honor, you know. He gave me few tips about the game. And honestly he did say things that I related during my career right now, and I told him, like, We should meet and play.

He said, he would have to work on his fitness and the condition to be able to play me (smiling). But he's very nice, and I'm sure he wrote me right now.

Q. What kind of things are you seeing that you feel are in common with the stuff that he's telling you?

ONS JABEUR: Like being the only Arab is not easy to be on tour right now, and to be able to pass the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam, like it's something that I should do it, because it was kind of I think with him, with Karim, it was kind of difficult for them to pass the quarterfinals, so he was encourage me to do that.