AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2023

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/T. Zidansek

7-6, 4-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Ons, congratulations on this victory today. How did you reset after dropping that second set?

ONS JABEUR: It was a tough match honestly. Just not the way I wanted to play. But I kept fighting. Frustrating to lose the second set, but I think I got the time to think and talk to myself more. The third set was really great.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How concerned or worried are you about the knee?

ONS JABEUR: Uhm, listen, it's not a big injury, but sometimes it might bother me. I try to take it one day at a time. It's a great challenge, you know. I see it for myself. I'm going to challenge myself and see if I cannot play 100%, for sure, but we'll try to push and be able to do something with it for sure.

Q. In terms of today's match, when you did turn it around. We saw it a little bit with Iga last night, where there came a point in the match where she said, Okay, enough. She elevated her game to close it out in straight sets. Seemed like you had a little bit of a similar moment in the third set.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, it's nice to see Iga from 5-3, 7-5. I wanted to do that today, but I'm not Iga. Better 6-1 in the third set (smiling).

Yeah, I was watching actually a little bit. You can see the difference between her and other players. The top players, how they react, it's inspiring.

For me, I just try to think and do something better, just give it all, not leave anything behind.

That was the case for the third set, for me.

Q. In terms of managing the knee, I don't know how the back is, but managing things in general over the course of the tournament, you have a day off between days, but do you come to the site? Do you practice? Do everything normal? Do you kind of taper according to how your body's reacting?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean, I'll always practice for one hour. It depends how great I can move or anything.

But for me, it is very important to come and just give a nice practice, especially just to prepare for the next match usually.

But knowing my coach, he would not let me rest, for sure (smiling). It's going to be probably light practice, something that makes me ready for the next one, for sure.

Q. Different courts play different ways. Obviously weather. How did you find Laver playing tonight? Did it surprise you how the ball was reacting at all?

ONS JABEUR: You know, I was lucky enough to practice twice or three times on Rod before starting the tournament. But the conditions were completely different. The roof was closed. I felt like the balls were really heavy today, especially playing someone like her. I think it benefits her more than me. I was trying to hit hard, but the ball was not going there.

I have to get used to those conditions. It's part of the game. Maybe next time it will be much better for me when maybe I play Sabalenka, it will be better to have heavy balls (smiling).