THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2024

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/R. Montgomery

6-1, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Ons, good win today. How are you feeling?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, it was a good match. I'm happy with my performance. I feel confident. Yeah, I'm loving how I'm playing these two matches.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Not specific to this match, but in general, how would you describe how you keep focus and don't get overwhelmed by a moment?

ONS JABEUR: Well, it's a work not just about this match or other matches. I been working a lot on concentration. I think everything is starting in the practice.

I'm trying to focus on each point, just finish each point and not think about, like, the future ones. I had trouble with concentrating on that before.

Yeah, I'm just trying to live the moment, and honestly play every point that it really matters. Definitely hearing the speech of Roger last time did help a lot.

Q. About the knee, how hard it has been managing that. How are you feeling now?

ONS JABEUR: Just have accepted that I will always have knee pain. Maybe you see me running good on the court. But, yeah, sometimes it's tougher than other days.

I'm very, very disciplined with my exercises because I know if I skip one day without the exercises, will not help me at all. So that's why I try to be cautious about it.

Yeah, definitely it's part of me right now. I think big part of it mentally is accepting that I'll always have knee pain.

Q. With tennis, the nature of it compared to other sports, you can't get 10 minutes off the bench. You have to be back and ready to play.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, definitely. I think also the scheduling and the amount of tournaments that they adding right now doesn't really help. Not just me, but any other players.

I think we'll see the results in couple of years when you see like a lot of players are injured. It's just Wimbledon right now. I'm really curious how players will play the Olympics and the hard court season. Honestly it's going to be very tough.

Q. I wanted to ask you about your variety when you're playing on this surface. Does it allow you to use more variety? Can that ever be a difficulty for you because you're a player who has so many shots? Someone like Aryna, you know what she's going to do. You have a varied arsenal. Can that ever be a disadvantage?

ONS JABEUR: Believe it or not, I have a plan, too (smiling). I try to follow it.

Yeah, definitely my game has advantages and disadvantages. Obviously when you have a lot of options of hitting the ball, doing the dropshot or slicing, it's a bit difficult.

I think when I started, like, knowing exactly what I need to do in the right moments, that's where my ranking went higher and became a top-10 player kind of.

Yeah, the game of maybe Aryna or Elena, it's easier and not think because she knows she has to rip the ball every time.

Yeah, sometimes with the grass I think what helps is it's not a slow surface, and it's very, very fast. Sometimes the slices can really be annoying for most of the players.

I think changing the rhythm, slicing, higher-speed ball could really bother any player, to be honest with you. That's really an advantage for me.

The fact that I know my ball could go faster really helps me also mentally during the match.

Q. You've spoken a lot in the past how much you love football. Have you watched any of the Euros over the last couple weeks? Your match on Saturday will be maybe clashing with England.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I mean, I've been watching a lot of the matches. A bit disappointed of some matches. I thought it was going to be more exciting.

I was watching Portugal last time. When Cristiano missed the penalty, I was crying with him because I love him so much.

The emotion of the sport, it's unbelievable. What I love the most is the crowd, they really were supporting him, how strong mentally he is after missing the penalty and then scoring again is unbelievable.

I watched England when they came back. I was really stressed. I wanted them to win. The last-minute scoring is unbelievable, how you can take the risk on that ball.

Yeah, I'm a huge football fan and I hope I can get the chance to watch. I think tomorrow it's also busy. I don't know the schedule, but I know Spain... Portugal-France tomorrow, as well? It's a busy day, I remember.

Q. Regarding the scheduling, do you ever envision yourself just scheduling however you like and accepting the zero points on your ranking for the week? Because of your ranking goals, what you want to do, is that too complicated?

ONS JABEUR: Honestly for the past years, I got to say I stopped looking a lot to the ranking 'cause basically I enter everywhere. What I look at, if I have a bye or not, to be honest with you (smiling). I think that's really an advantage for me.

Listen, when I was outside of the top hundred, close to the top hundred, I was stressing a lot about the ranking. It did not do me any good. I was counting every point. If I win this, if I win that...

At the end of the day in my control is to go and play the match full, do whatever you want, not look who is behind you, what they going to do. It is very stressful. I will definitely not do that again.

Q. Would you be willing to play less if you felt like physically the schedule was demanding too much of you or do you feel restricted because of the rules?

ONS JABEUR: A bit of both. We have certain mandatory tournaments that we need to play. It could affect the fact that we need to qualify for the WTA Finals.

At the same time when you're healthy, not healthy, you always want to push yourself to play a lot of tournaments. I think in that process, I'm learning more right now.

I would have told you I should not play Indian Wells, Miami, because I was not 100% ready, or close to 100%.

That I'm trying to learn right now. I'm really going with the flow and seeing especially with my knee. I tell you, for the first time I'm trying to be cautious about it, cautious about the scheduling.

Definitely a lot of learning in that. Hopefully I can take better decisions in the future.

Q. What aspects make you feel more home here at Wimbledon compared to other tournaments?

ONS JABEUR: I feel like when people speak to you when I'm passing by or practicing, you can really feel like they're sincere when they talk to you. They want you to win. Not like other tournaments, they say the same words all the players. I want you to win. Then the next one comes, they want them to win, too (smiling).

I feel like I really created a great connection with the crowd here. It's, like, pure love. Like nothing behind it. It's people, like, supporting me. Maybe they don't follow a lot of tennis, maybe they follow tennis, I don't know. For me, it felt sincere. I felt a great energy that comes from them. I'm someone that relies on energy, so...

Q. As well as watching the football, have you had a chance to watch any of the tennis? Will you be watching Andy Murray's doubles later?

ONS JABEUR: I did watch tennis. I've been watching Emma. I watched Alcaraz a bit. Novak. Yeah, hopefully if I finish here, I don't know what the score is on the Centre Court, but definitely I'll try to watch little bit.

It's fun. It's nice to see doubles playing on Centre Court.

Q. I saw Verdasco in your box. I knew he was helping you in Madrid. Is he still working with you?

ONS JABEUR: Well, he was supposed to be here this week. But, yeah, his player got injured. I asked him if he could stay with me.

Love his energy. Love his attitude. Love the way he talks to me, Spanish. Sometimes I don't even know what he's saying, but sounds good (smiling).

Yeah, always was curious about the perspective of a player to player. Sometimes I ask him, What do you feel at this certain moment?

I feel like we are connected in a way. Honestly, I love working with people that love to work with me, but not other things, just to really help me. I feel like sometimes that's really tough to find.

He has also a really good connection with my coach. It really helps us as a team.