ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2024

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/C. Osorio

6-3, 1-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Can you describe what happened in the second set and how you overcame that.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, obviously tough conditions for me. I don't like when the ball gets too heavy. Yeah, I didn't know how to manage much in the second set, but I'm glad I turned it back in the third one.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I'll focus on the positives. What happened in the third set that you were able to turn things around?

ONS JABEUR: You know, I just tried to focus a lot on my serve. I was trying to be more aggressive. Obviously when the balls are new, it's even better for me.

I felt like it was a bit humid inside that court. But yeah, I know, like, I had the game to win this match. I just needed to believe more.

Q. Wonder if you can try and describe for us what it's like playing in conditions like today, not just with the roof on but cold and humid and muggy, as you described. How does it affect the tennis and how you feel?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I felt hot in the match (smiling). It was, I would say, a lot humid. I saw the ball getting bigger and bigger. For some reason I put in my mind that it was better conditions for her when the ball is heavier, because she has more time to reach out and to get every ball, and it was less faster for me.

But I was a bit tense, so to release a bit my shots was kind of more difficult for me to do that with such conditions. I would say I was more happy when the balls are new, I was trying to go more for the ball.

But yeah, definitely want to, for sure, will try to serve better and play better for the next matches to be able to continue in this tournament.

Q. Obviously still holding down a top 8 seed. Is there some reprieve at least in not having to hear others talk about you, and Iga or Sabalenka as total favorites, to fly under the radar, if you may?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean, I don't mind. Obviously I am what I am today, and if people are not talking about me like they're talking about Iga or Aryna or Rybakina is for a reason.

I just want to have what I deserve. I deserve to be in the spot 8 or 9, because Pegula pulled out. Yeah, that's tennis.

I am hanging in there. I'm trying to get back to my level or at least very close to the level I was in. It's not easy, you know.

But nothing is sure about tennis. You can play unbelievable and lose, and you can play shitty and win (smiling).

Q. Earlier in the clay season you said the women in some of the European tournaments maybe didn't get the respect that they deserved. I'm curious how you find it here with the treatment and the scheduling for the women.

ONS JABEUR: I'm going to get in trouble again, aren't I (smiling)? Listen, I know they're trying here. I wish they'd try more. It's not something we'll change in a day. I'm watching TV every day. A lot of men matches more than women, and is the truth. I mean, I'm not gonna lie about it.

I think Amelie is doing an amazing job and is trying to change that, but these things, they take time. I wish I can see the change more. Obviously I wish I can see more, like I wish I saw Osaka and Iga's match today as a night session. But it's a choice. I understand that. Maybe the prime time is now. I don't know.

Again, I will keep pushing for that, and I wish really to see promoting more women's sport in general and women's tennis in general.

Q. You talked about watching matches. What's your routine when you're in a tournament? Do you like to watch a lot or do you like to kind of escape? Obviously scouting players and things like that, what's your routine with that?

ONS JABEUR: I'm not a big watcher. I don't, oh, I cannot miss this match or anything. But now I feel like is the season to watch tennis. Every Grand Slam, a lot of matches going on, so as soon as I open the TV I'm curious to see how others are playing, men or woman.

But yeah, I just try to not be obsessed with tennis at the same time. Because sometimes it's, like, okay, I don't want to talk about tennis anymore, I just want to relax and disconnect a little bit and come back to see, again, a few matches.

Q. Would you like to speak to Amelie? Would that be a conversation you think would be constructive given some of the things you've just said to us today?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, definitely. I feel like I wanted to focus more on the tournament right now. But I feel Amelie is such an amazing person, which she would be very open to talk about things. I would like to know things. Obviously I don't know everything that's happening with the TV, with the rights, with this and that. But I am curious to know a lot of things.

But I know for sure that they're trying to do better. You know, as a woman playing right now, I want to see more, for sure. And maybe some things are not in her hands. Just that's how it is.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. What is missing to go back to your best level? Is it your state of mind? Is it your physical fitness?

ONS JABEUR: It's always the state of mind. We have to adjust to conditions. It's completely different to play on Chatrier or on Suzanne-Lenglen. I'm very lucky to play on one of these courts, because rain doesn't help. But I'm glad that I could adjust my game.

Physically it was a bit different. It was a bit heavier in terms of conditions. I'm glad that the third set turned out much better than the second set.

Q. Frances Tiafoe said tennis is the most difficult sport in the world. That's his opinion. He says that that's tennis, where you feel lonely, balls change often, we know when we start, we never know when it ends. There's a lot of features that make it a very complicated game. Is it tough for you or do you have other examples to give?

ONS JABEUR: I haven't tried other sports before, so I couldn't say. But backed by my experience, I could say that he's right. Tennis is a very hard sport. It's also an all-around sport. Every part of our body is used and drawn upon. Even our brain cells. We are far from our family, we travel all around the world, we have to adjust to court surfaces, to different court balls.

I hope that the tour conditions will improve as a matter of general principle, because top-10, top-20 players, if we play a lot of tournaments, we actually can sustain a lot of injuries, so we need to improve conditions.

Q. I would like to go back to the beginning of the third set. How did you manage to level the score, to take the lead again? It seems you showed a lot of personality, and we think that it was actually a crucial moment, an epic decider.

ONS JABEUR: The change of ball helped me a lot. I was so glad when the balls changed. I thought that the balls were very heavy, and at one point for her it was actually in her favor to have such balls.

At one point, I watched a Kobe Bryant video, and they said that the brain is like a computer. We have to erase such negative moments. That's what I tried to do. That's what I keep trying to do. So I erased everything and tried to start anew.

Q. We met with Mayar Sherif, and we know that you know her, you came to see her.

ONS JABEUR: We've known each other for a long, long time. We go way, way back. We played African Championships together, we would play one another before. I like her very much. I'm glad that she has reached the top level, and I hope to see her play for a long time.

I hope that she will enter the top 30 very soon.

Q. She said that you would help her so much. Do you like playing the big sister?

ONS JABEUR: I try to help as much as I can. I told her, you can come and see me whenever you want, whenever you have questions. I think she's a very great person, she has a great state of mind. She has a big fighting spirit on court, and I like it.

I think she gives a wonderful image for African and Arabic women. We need more professional players from the African and Arabic world, and I hope that she will win her next match.