US OPEN

September 8, 2022

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/C. Garcia

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Two sets. A very, very crisp one hour and six minutes. Can you assess your performance tonight.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean, great game for me, to be honest. It was the plan to just follow my coach for the first time 100% (smiling). But it was good. He's satisfied. He didn't have nothing to say after the match.

Just, yeah, I know she was very confident so I had to really impose my game from the beginning, and it was working very well until the end of the match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. How different does this moment feel for you compared to doing it at Wimbledon just two months ago?

ONS JABEUR: Feels more real, to be honest with you just to be in the finals again. At Wimbledon I was kind of just living the dream, and I couldn't believe it. Even just after the match, I was just going to do my things and not realizing it was an amazing achievement already.

But now just I hope I'm getting used to it, you know, just happy the fact that I backed up the results in Wimbledon and people are not really surprised I'm in the finals, but just going and going and just doing my thing.

Now maybe I know what to do in the finals. I know it's going to be very difficult, but I'm going to have to do my best now.

Q. You mentioned on court that you had found out that they were airing your match instead of a soccer game.

ONS JABEUR: It was the last match, because it was late in Tunisia, so it was the Champions League, so Juventus was playing against Paris Saint-Germain. In Tunisia it's all about soccer. But people were not watching the game, they were watching my game, which is impressive to me.

Q. Who told you that?

ONS JABEUR: Someone sent me the link of when they were talking about it. And, yeah, it was, like, surprised, to be honest with you.

Q. Do you feel you are in a better position to go all the way here?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I do feel that. I'm definitely going to learn from all the finals that I played, and especially the last one at Wimbledon.

I'm going to give it all. Definitely going for the title here.

Q. You have spoken a bit about what you learned at Wimbledon competing in the final, but in the bigger picture, what have you learned about yourself from this year, achieving all that you have?

ONS JABEUR: Definitely saying out loud what I want to do is part of me achieving things. I remember saying that I want to be a top five, I wanted to win a Grand Slam, and I wanted to qualify for the Masters. You know, two, check, check, there is one more is going to check hopefully soon.

Yeah, learning I think a lot of things about my game, about my style, about what I can do on the court. I'm learning to do it more and more right now.

Especially when I talk to my coach before the matches, I just feel like now I can do whatever I can do and what I want to do on the court, which is surprising for me and I surprise myself so many times. It's going very well, especially this tournament.

Hopefully I will keep doing that. Managing my stress, emotions also helps me to do whatever I want on the court, for sure.

Q. I know you have spoken about it a little before, but now that there is a final right now in front of you, what is that big lesson that you took from specifically the Wimbledon final? What did your coach tell you that you followed 100%?

ONS JABEUR: I mean, tactically he told me to really play her backhand because she was very dominant with her forehand. You know, focus on one side. A lot of different things on the serve. I knew she was going to attack everything.

Yeah, tactically I think I played really well. Even on the important points, I followed it. Even changed a little bit on the perfect timing.

Yeah, from Wimbledon, just, you know, a lot of emotions. Just going to that final was really tough for me, especially the second set, you know. I think I handled very well coming to the court and playing the first set.

But then I feel like this final, I'm going full in, I'm going for everything. Definitely also learning from, you know, Rome's final, Madrid, and other ones.

But I feel very positive about this one. You know, the most important thing is not to regret, because I'm going to give it all on this one. Even if this one is not going to happen, I'm very sure that another one will come.

My niece, cuteness. I chose my niece this time.

Q. Do you know that your record this year in semifinals is 6-0 at the moment? I'm curious if there is a specific thing that clicks in your mind?

ONS JABEUR: No, I think I don't have a good record with quarters, but now the semis we're very good buddies.

I don't know. Just apparently I like playing finals. So I'm going full on the semis ones.

Q. You finally got to immediate Andy yesterday. What was that experience? Did he inspire your serving at all? You served really well today.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I was like surprised to see him. Like, whoa, he's there. I hugged him. I didn't know should I shake his hand, hug, I don't know. But I went for the hug, of course.

I told him I was going to fire Martin (phonetic) because they all met you and I didn't meet you yesterday. He was very nice. He told me he's following me and supporting me, which is incredible, you know.

I actually looked up the last picture I took, it was at the Australian Open I think 2009, he was warming up or training. I was very close. But then when I want to go and take a picture with him he already left.

I don't know. I was going to ask him about the serve, but then I forgot. But I think he gave me the touch somehow (smiling).

Q. Your shirt, when you walked in here, said "Face Your Fears." On Saturday what are the fears you need to face?

ONS JABEUR: Losing finals is one of them. Yeah, face all the stress. I think the most important thing is accept that I'm playing a big final and accept all the emotions that are going to come my way.

I'm very lucky that I have Melanie with me, so she's going to help me go through this with my team. With the way I'm playing, I feel like it's going to be great final for me.

Q. You mentioned Arantxa Sanchez on the court. Can you talk about what she brings, having her in your box? Will you have anyone else special in your box on Saturday? Who else might be in there?

ONS JABEUR: I don't know who is going to come to my box, but I feel like I want to keep it the same. A little bit superstitious about it. Just going to keep the same people.

Arantxa, I'm a big fan of hers. We met in Charleston. We have the same game style, so it's really amazing to take her advice and to take her experience from playing different players and how she can react to their games.

She gave me few tips that really helped me, especially with my slices, with my serve. I think it clicked very quick because we have similar game, and I think the same feeling when playing someone who attacks really fast or someone who kind of change up the rhythm. I think that's why I like to listen to her. I know what she felt on the court as a player really helps me now.

Q. You talked a little bit about the lessons you have learned from Wimbledon. Is there anything you are going to do differently over the next 48 hours going into the final from what you did at Wimbledon?

ONS JABEUR: Differently? Probably yes. Some things maybe on the match, for sure. But I think I'm definitely going to think about that one and think about how I played and the emotions and focus more I think on following tactically my coach.

At certain time I think I played not the right way in the final, so didn't help me much. But always, it's always nice to stick with the same plan. You know, when you get stressed sometimes, you just don't know how to think. I think that I'm going to use it very well.

With the help, of course, of Melanie, of being ready with all my emotions and everything, I think it's going to be great.

Q. You mentioned in your country that the tennis was favored instead of the soccer match. If you win a slam here or somewhere, what impact do you think it could have on kids in Tunisia, Northern Africa? Do you think they would pick up a tennis racquet instead of play football, perhaps?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I think parents are making their kids play tennis right now. I just remember when I won the juniors 2011 French Open, there is a lot of tennis players trying to play tennis. Even adults, you know. Just not for professionally. But they really interested in that sport.

I'm hearing that they want to call a complex under my name in Tunisia. I'm not sure about it. I didn't see it. But I think it's going to be huge. Definitely is going to give a powerful message. I feel like people are going to believe even more in playing tennis and becoming professional tennis players.

Q. Andy Roddick, I never learned what exactly it was that inspired you to become his fan. His personality, game style? When did you first get into Andy Roddick?

ONS JABEUR: He's handsome, also (smiling). I had to say that. Don't tell my husband.

I think, yeah, the personality is similar to mine. I always wanted to be that fun player that he is. I suck at imitating people, but he does it really well.

Also what impressive is his serve. Always wanted to serve like that. Just, you know, just his charisma on the court is really amazing.

I don't know. I remember the final at Wimbledon against Federer. Everybody was cheering for Federer, but I was, like, Andy, come on, come on.

But I just love the way he plays, and the person he is.

Q. Given the gradual trajectory of your career, I'm sure you have had a lot of lessons to learn. Wondering what has made you kind of good at taking the right kind of lessons and learnings from losses and setbacks that has allowed you to keep going forward?

ONS JABEUR: I think for me it's always believing, and that everybody could evolve and be a better person. For me, I was trying to be a better person on and off the court.

The most important thing I believe that helped me be the player I am today is really understand myself, because sometimes I had coaches telling me things, and deep inside I didn't believe that was the right thing to do.

But it's very tough because the coach is supposed to, like, tell you and know a little bit better than you. But sometimes I had to follow my gut. And when I did that and when I surrounded myself by people who believed in me and my game, that's when I became the player that I am today.

Q. We don't know who you are going to play yet, but could you just talk a little bit about the challenge of playing maybe Iga first and then Aryna.

ONS JABEUR: You know, Iga never loses finals, so it's going to be very tough. I know she struggled a little bit with the balls here, but I don't see her struggling much, to be honest with you. She's playing awesome. It's going to be tough match. Definitely going for my revenge.

I love playing on this surface, and I feel like I know exactly what to do against her.

For Aryna, very powerful player. It's never easy to play her because you expect amazing shots, but also a lot of mistakes, so you always have to be ready for her. But I know she's such a fighter, and I really respect her very much. If I'm going to play her, I think it's going to be a very beautiful final.

Q. The tour sometimes was criticized for not having consistency, but this year Iga is consistent, you are making back-to-back finals. What does it mean to bring that element to the tour, being part of what's going on right now?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I think we are just trying to manage and learn how to be more and more consistent. It's tough to play a lot of tournaments. I feel like, I don't know, I feel like the difference between men and women is like before, didn't happen before, but they had Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal. I think maybe now we are going to see like more players coming up.

Before, we just had Serena, you know. Serena cannot play all the tournaments, and she was pretty consistent. That really inspired a lot of players. Yeah, definitely it is better for us to be consistent and do great results. We are trying to do that. Iga did inspire us with her winning streak, and we are going to continue fighting.

Honestly, I just love how every player is fighting every week and how they are trying to do the best they can.

Q. What was harder to get over, the first-round loss in Paris when you were playing so well or the Wimbledon final?

ONS JABEUR: I think I moved on very well from that one (smiling).

You know what? Like I said, I'm a very positive person. Honestly, it was a shock for French Open, and I was expecting myself to play good. But deep inside I know emotionally I was tired. Physically I was tired. I couldn't really blame myself. I put the hard work and put enough work to be able to really play amazing in the grass season.

Definitely the Wimbledon final really hurt, you know. If I had to give up one of them, just lose French Open and win Wimbledon.

But it is what it is. I was very positive after the final, and I knew a lot of opportunities will come for me, and here I am in the final again.

Q. If you do play Sabalenka next, she's a tough person to play when she's hitting the ball big. Does any of what you have accomplished this tournament, in terms of beating players that maybe you had tough head-to-heads against, does that help you at all in terms of going into that match and believing that you can diffuse her power?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, definitely. I mean, a final is a final, always a different story in finals. If I play Aryna, I played a lot of powerful players this tournament that doesn't give you time. But, I mean, it's going to be interesting, because I know again exactly what to do, and if I can impose my game and if I can change up the rhythm, I know I can drive her crazy. I'm sorry, Aryna, but I have to do what I know to do (smiling).