THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 8, 2023

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/B. Andreescu

3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of Ons Jabeur.

Ons, looked like a tough match.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, very tough match. I'm glad I got the win. Just hoping to acknowledge more the mistakes I did today to be able to play better for the next match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the start. It felt like it took you a while to get going. What were you feeling in the beginning?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, it was a bit frustrating, especially the return. She was serving well and serving on different spots. It's kind of tough to return for me, to find my rhythm there. It was frustrating. But if you see it, like, I only lost one serve game. That could change a whole set.

But, yeah, I think the second set I start to put more the ball in. I focused more on sticking to the plan. From then, I think it was much better.

Q. Bianca said the 3-1 game in the third set is going to haunt her for a while. Do you think you changed anything from that moment in the match, play more free, or she changed something?

ONS JABEUR: I think I played a good game at her serve. I honestly felt that at 2-1, it was kind of dark and I couldn't see the ball very well.

I saw her going to the chair umpire. I think she was speaking about that, too. I was like, Okay, just put the ball in and see what's going to happen.

I returned much better. For sure that did help me a lot. That may be the key of that game, because I was struggling a lot with my return.

But, yeah, obviously maybe she didn't play her best game there. I'm glad that I really stayed calm and got the break back.

Q. It's very late. Not too many colleagues here. I'd like to do a quick lightning round, two minutes, just give me an answer off the top of your head. The thing that you love most about the sport of tennis?

ONS JABEUR: Traveling.

Q. If you could go to dinner not with your friends or team but anyone in tennis, who would you go to dinner with?

ONS JABEUR: Novak Djokovic.

Q. If you went to dinner with anyone outside of tennis, who would that be?

ONS JABEUR: Outside of tennis? David Beckham (laughter).

Q. The best stroke that you faced in your career?

ONS JABEUR: Like shot?

Q. Yes.

ONS JABEUR: Shot, shot. I would choose Bianca's slice today. It was kind of annoying.

Q. Your favorite court on the tennis circuit?

ONS JABEUR: Got to choose this Centre Court.

Q. I want to ask you, how do you feel about your first week? What did you feel like coming in? Now that the first week is over, what do you think you did well?

ONS JABEUR: I think the level was okay. Today was the big test for me. I'm honestly trying to find my rhythm more. That's the stages of a Grand Slam where you need to play your best tennis. It's starting from maybe the next round.

I'm going to do my best to be ready 100%. I believe that the first week, matches to get used to the tougher week right now.

Q. Can you talk about Petra, the challenge of facing her on grass.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, we played long time ago. Maybe I was kind of bit injured, so it wasn't my best match.

She's an amazing player. I have much more experience right now. I definitely want to go for my revenge. I know the next match I need to be focused, I need to be calm, I need to believe more in myself that I can beat someone like Petra. She plays amazing. She plays very fast.

But I will do my best to really do 100% to really get ready for that match.

Q. Bianca said she didn't think she dealt with the rain delay very well. What did you do in the rain delay? How do you generally cope with such things?

ONS JABEUR: Funny, I played Bianca twice, and twice we got stopped by the rain. It was in Montreal and one here.

When I went back, I knew it's going to be in my favor because I reacted very well after a match.

I know listening to my coach, knowing more about it, could help me. I'm thankful that my coach was there and gave me a lot of advices about tactical and technical things that I was doing maybe wrong and I needed to improve.

It was very emotional for me to stop. I had Melanie, my mental coach there. She encouraged me, just gave me a lot of positive energy. I think that's what I needed to complete and win this match.

Q. (Question regarding rain delay and adjustments made.)

ONS JABEUR: In general, you mean?

Q. During the rain delay, when you spoke to your coach.

ONS JABEUR: Well, to improve in this game?

Q. Yes.

ONS JABEUR: A lot of things. I believe when I started to return better, it was much better for me. Percentage-wise it did help me to suffer less.

My serve, I think the last game I saved it with my serve. Doing couple aces does really help. But sticking more to the plan that my coach gave me, I think that was really helpful, too.

Q. Sometimes in Grand Slam campaigns, there is one match that is a turning point. Do you think this match today, the way you fought your way back, could be the turning point into the second week?

ONS JABEUR: Maybe. I don't know. But I'm glad that I got to have this test today to kind of see, play a little bit with my nerves, to play someone that could put you in very stressful position.

Definitely glad that I got the situation, this match, better than the next match, because I believe that the next match will be like a lot harder. It's going to take a lot more to win it.