THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2024

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/M. Uchijima

6-3, 6-1

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

ONS JABEUR: I'm feeling good. Happy with the performance today. I felt confident. I hope I can continue this way.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're known as the minister of happiness. How does it feel to be back in your happy place?

ONS JABEUR: Happy to be in the second round, to be playing here. Yeah, I'm just enjoying every moment.

I was really happy to play today. I didn't mind change of courts. That was fine.

Q. When did you find out that your match was going to be moved on Court 14? What was the atmosphere?

ONS JABEUR: She called me around 6:45. I asked if I could have a bit of time because I just ate and I didn't know I was going on court.

But yeah, they asked me if it was okay. I said, Any court, I don't honestly mind. I want to play today.

Yeah, we were lucky also that Caroline finished with the match. Yeah, stepped on the court.

Q. How did you enjoy that kind of small court?

ONS JABEUR: It's such a beautiful court, I enjoyed seeing a lot of people. Yeah, maybe sometimes when we play on big courts, not everybody gets the chance to see us play. That was actually very nice to play on Court 14.

It was cozy, you know? For the first time, I think I can hear what my coach was saying to me, which I couldn't pretend that I didn't hear this time (smiling).

Q. I can imagine that being a top-10 seed at Wimbledon, particularly during the earlier stages of the tournament, playing unseeded players, can be quite difficult. How do you manage that from yourself and from fans?

ONS JABEUR: I think every maybe top 10 or top 20 knows that the first rounds are really tricky. Everybody is here to win. You can have surprises a lot of times.

For me, I try to use my experience and not let that pressure get in the way. I've had before when I was the favorite, and I lost first round, which I learned from it. It's normal that they play with less pressure than us.

I think just these rounds are really kind of mandatory to test your mental and how you can handle the pressure. Yeah, sometimes it's tougher than you think, and sometimes you really get the win.

Q. Seven different women have won the last seven Wimbledons.

ONS JABEUR: Yes.

Q. What does that signify to you?

ONS JABEUR: Did you ask that same question to Elena? I had a lot of time going through Twitter earlier (smiling).

Like she said, it's such great women, to see them playing and winning. I feel like Wimbledon is such a tricky surface. Mostly maybe the favorites are the big heroes and the ones that can enjoy playing on grass more than the others.

But yeah, I'm not sure who the other five are, but they're all champions. We know that Elena is such an amazing player. Vondrousova as well, despite the defeat today.

Yeah, nobody can take away from the title from her. She's an unbelievable player. She proved she's a champion. These things happen.

Yeah, the other five I'm not sure, but I'm sure they're really great champions. I think Wimbledon is maybe the trickiest Grand Slam.

Q. What advantage do you think it gives you to have been as far as you have been in this tournament?

ONS JABEUR: I think the experience of repeating twice in a row. Yeah, I just take it one step at a time. I try to enjoy. I try to get as much love as I can from the crowd because I really feel, like, a great energy coming from them.

Like the other press conference, I feel like Wimbledon didn't just become my dream but a dream of so many here.

Q. Maybe you don't know much about today's opponent because she is kind of an up-and-coming player. When you are playing against that kind of player, do you try to watch video or does your coach do that?

ONS JABEUR: I make my coach work (smiling).

Yeah, he does most of the I would say watching. I'm not used to watching a lot of my opponents or anything. But let's say I play someone I know so much, I discuss that with my coach. Most of the time I know what the plan is.

This time I think I was trying to focus more 80% on myself and 20% on the opponent. Yeah, definitely my coach did a great job watching and giving me some tips.

Q. Did playing on an outside court bring back any memories of your first Wimbledons?

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, definitely I thought about it. Honestly, I don't really care if I play a big court or a small court. Maybe I care when it's raining because there is a roof.

I think Court 14 is a beautiful court. It's cozy and it keeps me really close to the fans. Actually I've been hearing a lot of what they were saying. Did you watch some matches today? It's fun because you don't hear that when you're playing big courts.

Yeah, I honestly enjoy every moment. For me is really to focus on my game and on just enjoying every part of it.

Q. Anything fun you heard from the fans?

ONS JABEUR: The only discussion was, What did you do today? How many matches did you watch? I was hearing which matches. Yeah, they've been having fun. I was, like, Yeah, Ons, have fun, they're having fun, so do it.

Q. You served 23 first serves in. Were you aware how many you converted?

ONS JABEUR: No. 23?

Q. Yes. 100% of first serves.

ONS JABEUR: This I'm telling my coach right away. This stat is really good for my coach because even like today, the dropshot, I looked at him, See, it works. Don't tell me it doesn't work.

Q. Regarding the grass and the slip-sliding with the dampness. Did you experience any of that? What is it like when you're in that situation?

ONS JABEUR: Honestly, this year I don't think I experienced that. I hope not. You have to always be careful on grass. You mean sliding, right?

Q. Yeah, or if the court is slippery because of dampness.

ONS JABEUR: I didn't experience that today or in the past days. But I know here they're super careful with it. If I go to talk to them and tell them that the court is slippery, they probably would stop.

But I love sliding, so I would just go with it and enjoy that, as well.