ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2024

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/S. Vickery

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with French. Let's go ahead.

(In French.)

Q. Congrats on your win. We felt that you were tensed at first, that it was hard for you to hit the racquet.

ONS JABEUR: Well, yes, at first I was tensed. I tried to find my bearings. The conditions on the court were quite heavy at first, so I tried to play in a relaxed way. I hope it will be better for the next match.

Q. In which state of mind and shape are you right now? We saw nice things in Madrid. We feel that you're coming back to top form. Is everything in place for the 15 days to come?

ONS JABEUR: Well, I'll see that match after match. I aim for a deep run. As I said earlier, I did a wonderful preparation. I practiced a lot, and I never dropped a set during practice sessions.

I hope that I will see that again on the major courts, such as Philippe Chatrier, and I hope to get the upper hand every time. But I will see it point after point, ball after ball, game after game, and we'll see.

Q. You know how to handle such a Grand Slam, 15 days of tournament, right?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I think so. After three Grand Slam finals and a few quarterfinals, I think I can go up till the end. It's like a marathon.

I'm going to reach the second round. I hope to be more patient and to be able to play my best tennis.

Q. Congrats on your win. We saw you much more focused than last year. What has changed since last year in terms of state of mind? There were a few points where you spoke with the umpire, but you never stayed out of focus in your matches. Is there something that you do this year that you didn't do last year, and to stay focused from beginning till the end?

ONS JABEUR: I thought I was quite focused last year, actually. Maybe this year it's better. Well, I always take a compliment.

We may agree or disagree with the umpire. I just gave my opinion on the shot, whether it was in or out. But then it is up to the umpire to settle and decide.

But with experience, I know that one point won't change everything. I had need to focus more on myself. This is why I seem to be more focused. I played better point after point. Staying focused during the match is very important.

Q. I saw that you hit a lot of dropshots. Is it something that you've mastered for quite some time, or is it new?

ONS JABEUR: Well, I'm quite well known for my dropshots. It has always helped me to overwhelm the opponent, to prevent my opponent from going to the net.

I managed my dropshots well. I don't know how many dropshots I did. 40 or so, I think. My winners were, most of them, for 90% they were dropshots.

Q. You are an iconic figure of the Arabic world. You are well-known by everyone. How do you deal with that pressure?

ONS JABEUR: A lot of meditation, a lot of breathing exercises. I chose this path intentionally, and I try to give the best image possible of myself to be a leading figure for the young people. This is what I would like to use to show the way to the young people. I hope I'm doing well.

The most important thing is to remember that this is the path that I chose (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. So what have you learned about getting through these first rounds and these big events that you didn't used to know?

ONS JABEUR: Definitely staying focused is really important and not taking anything for granted. I know first rounds could be really tricky, so it's the round that is going to get you into the tournaments.

For me, I really learned that I should stay focused from the beginning and make my way up to the final.

Q. It's interesting that you say that. I guess I assume that, okay, you're going to be focused. Were there really Grand Slams where you come in, and as you recall them, not being focused in the first round?

ONS JABEUR: Not really that, but, you know, sometimes first rounds could be really tricky. You know, you're not expecting from the player to play their A game or you want to, like, get more focused on the top players. Which I wasn't doing that obviously in the past years, but maybe at the beginning of my career it was kind of tough, you know, to handle the first rounds.

But I feel like I'm learning a lot, and I feel the first rounds could really help me get my game, you know, and make it ready for the next ones.

Q. The effect of having the roof closed, what does it do to the conditions?

ONS JABEUR: Well, the only thing was I was surprised that the roof with was closing and nobody told us. That's one thing I was surprised. I was playing the point, and was getting darker and darker and I would ask the referee, what's going on. He's like, they didn't even tell me. So that was kind of weird.

But then, you know, it's a condition that you play with. Fortunately I practiced with the roof closed in the past few days. Yeah, maybe the wind wasn't helping much from one side, but after, I just really stayed, you know, focused and continue focusing on my game.

Q. Does the ball bounce more or less, anything?

ONS JABEUR: I felt the condition was really heavy today, but it was perfect for my dropshot (smiling).

Q. You played three Grand Slam finals. You came here to the quarterfinals. What can you say that is the thing that you maybe need to do? What's the difference in Roland Garros that you maybe need to push it to the final, you know, to get a chance to win the title?

ONS JABEUR: You know, I love this tournament so much. I have won here in the juniors. The atmosphere, a lot of Tunisian fans are here, so it already feels like home. I know I can play amazing on clay. Just I feel mentally, physically, I'm ready to be until the end. Just some key moments that I need to focus on.

I feel like I'm improving a lot in that area, and yeah, just taking it one step at a time. If really I make it to the quarterfinals, I just want to push to win three more matches. That's how it works. Sometimes a bit of luck from here, bit of luck from there, and it could help you be in the finals.