ROLAND GARROS

May 31, 2024

Ons Jabeur

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/L. Fernandez

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Ons, a tough match today against a great opponent, but you are now back in the fourth round at Roland Garros. Can you just talk about how it feels to be back in the second week and the match overall today.

ONS JABEUR: Yeah, I'm very proud of the level I played in today, mentally, physically, and tennis-wise. Yeah, pretty happy to be in the second week. That was my goal from the beginning, and now we'll have to continue and playing better and better.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The first question is: Is that the best you've played this year?

ONS JABEUR: I mean, I played two matches this year. Definitely, yes. One of my best matches because -- I mean, I played really well in Abu Dhabi as well against Emma. I like the way I played there, and I think also pulled out some good wins in Madrid as well.

I think it's one of the best matches definitely I played in this year.

Q. My second question is, I watched your documentary that you produced.

ONS JABEUR: Thank you.

Q. Very much enjoyed it. Gave a real insight into, well, what you went through last year. I know that you're rebuilding at the moment and trying to find your best form and get through these tournaments to the latter stages. I just wondered, if you are able to do that, if you are able to get to the latter stages of a Grand Slam again, do you feel that you have learned something from the process you went through last year that would help you in that position if you were in it again?

ONS JABEUR: I mean, for sure. I would say I'm doing two things. I'm rebuilding definitely, but also not everything that I learn or I have in me is completely gone. It's still there, but it's still, like, helping me be the player that I am today, be the player that can pull off some matches like this, and still continue to believe in myself and be patient because I think this year has been much harder than last year.

But, again, I played three finals. I'm sure I learned one or two things from playing these finals. If I play the fourth one, I will definitely try to do much better than I did before.

I have some ideas because, you know, sometimes I sleep at night, and I only think about what I should have done differently. Mentally I'm learning a lot, and I'm seeing myself. Okay, if I had to play that match again, what I do different and what I should do anything? I'm evolving a lot.

Even my team is noticing that, which is something that it's making me happy. One of the things I'm trying to do is be less tough with myself because I've been doing that a lot and without realizing it. Having people from outside telling me this did help me a lot.

Q. Apart from winning, what's important for you heading into the second week of a slam?

ONS JABEUR: Just reminding everyone that I'm still here (laughing). It's also nice to prove for myself because I've been in a bad place for months trying to get back and gain back my confidence.

But, again, to be in the second week, it's really important for me and for the hard work that I did, recognizing that not everything that I was doing just -- just like that.

Q. Just picking up on some of the tough times that you've been through. It's great to see you obviously feeling so much better. The whole Minister of Happiness tag, does that make it harder when you are feeling rough, almost like pressure, everybody expects you to always have a smile on your face, always be kind of lifting up everybody else around you? What's that like when you're not feeling like that?

ONS JABEUR: Well, I mean, I feel like I didn't think about if I am the Minister of Happiness, I need to be 24/7 happy, you know, which is wrong. I feel like it's wrong, and I'm sending the wrong message as well.

What I want to always say is I get angry, I get sad, and I accept these feelings, and it's okay to do that, and I think a couple of times I said, it's not a happy life all the time. I would be lying to everyone else and lying to myself, obviously.

For me is to be real to myself, real to you guys. I cry all the time. I can be happy, but what I want to show kind of because I feel like sometimes a smile could change someone's day. I can be feeling sad, but someone -- you know, make a nice comment or tell me something nice, it would completely change my day, so I try to do the same.

If somebody gives me anger or sadness, I try to transfer that into a good thing.

Q. Minister of Kindness maybe.

ONS JABEUR: We need that in the world, especially right now.

Q. Ons, you play with so much flare and so much personality on the court. How important is it for you to still have that freedom to play that way from your team so you can enjoy these high-pressure atmospheres at Grand Slams?

ONS JABEUR: From my team? I didn't get the team part.

Q. For your team to allow you to play with that freedom and flare.

ONS JABEUR: For my team to allow me? Oh, they would be fired if they don't (laughing).

Listen, I have a different game. My character as a woman here is I want to be free, I want to do whatever I want.

I usually hate it when they try to put me in a space and not let me do my thing because I feel like I am a creative person. I am intuitive when I play. Don't tell me don't do that drop shot, but teach me how to do the drop shot. That's something I want to learn, and that's something I want a lot of coaches to know, is not to kill the creativity in the player, but teach them how to develop that.

Me, I try always to tell my team, let me do whatever I want. Let me do what I want because I feel like it's really important to be myself on the court. That's when I play the best. That's how I shout and how I become vocal. Sometimes I have hard time to even scream, Come on, because I don't feel very nice on the court.

But today was even much better, and I felt really free on the court.

Q. I just wanted to ask you, tomorrow Badosa and Sabalenka are playing each other and they're super close off the court. How do you find that dynamic when you have to play someone who you might be really close with off it, but then on it you have to sort of change and go from being friendly to just being ruthless and trying to win?

ONS JABEUR: I think that's maybe a lot of people, they don't understand about me. They think because I'm friendly with everyone outside that I am going to be friendly on the court, which for me it's completely different because we are all competitors. We are all, like, champions on the court.

I think Paula and Aryna will kill each other tomorrow (smiling). I guarantee that. I've seen them play so many times. They're super friendly outside, but when they step on the court, it's something different. Whoever is better is going to win.

You know, it's like bring it on, show me what you got, and let's see how it's going to go. But, you know, obviously it's going in a lot of respect and sportsmanship because it's really important to have that.

I played Aryna so many times, and I don't think she's going to be nice with me, you know (laughing). So I'm actually looking forward to see that match.

Q. You mentioned more kindness in the world. I read about some kids in Gaza idolizing Ons Jabeur, but they didn't have basic needs. They didn't have TV, internet, or anything, and they still try to find a way to watch Ons Jabeur. What do you say to that?

ONS JABEUR: I'm pretty sad to see the news every day, and I honestly try not to be on social media because it's horrifying video what's happening in Gaza right now. I wish the world could speak more because it's really unfair what's happening.

These kids, woman, men suffering. We are in 2024, and it's very sad to see that a lot of countries are silent about it. So I'm trying to send the great energy helping as a WFP Ambassador trying to help as much as I can, but definitely it makes me very sad and angry to see that nothing is moving and nothing is really happening.

So I wish peace in Gaza, and I wish more people speaking about this.

Q. I had a question on the programming, including of the night sessions. I know it's something close to your heart. Tomorrow we'll have the seventh night session for the men. Still nothing for the women. What do you think? What would you like to say, again, because I know you've mentioned something already about this?

ONS JABEUR: It is sad, of course. I would like us to show more women's matches, of course. As I said earlier, usually I go back to my hotel, I switch on the TV, and there are always more men's matches than women's matches.

We try to speak up about it. Last time we saw an exceptional match between Naomi and Iga. It's not up to me to decide which match should be played in a night session.

Of course, Paula and Aryna will also be an exceptional match, but it is not up to me to decide when that should be programmed. I keep on speaking up. I keep on creating a buzz, as people say, and I really hope things will change. I can feel that women's tennis at the moment is in a really good position.

Q. Ons, again, another struggle tonight, today. You have a very pleasant match to follow for the audience. You changed your game quite a lot during that match. Is it something that you improvise shot-by-shot, or do you plan for those variations? How do you decide on it? What goes through your mind?

ONS JABEUR: I played against an excellent player. She has a great touch for the ball. She is left-handed, so, of course, she has better angles than a right-handed player.

It wasn't easy to play against her for the fourth time. She knows me very well by now, and every time I try to do a drop shot, she starts rushing to the net. If I slice, she volleys.

At one point I just had no choice but to change my tactic. Sometimes I make the decision when the ball comes out of her racquet. It's hard to make that decision beforehand because I don't know yet if the ball is going to be hit heavy or not, but I try not to have any unforced errors, just keep the ball in, and I think it worked really great even though at some points I took an important risk, but in the end it bore its fruits.

Q. For the rest of the tournament you'll be in the round of 16. Does it open up opportunities? Are you starting to dream?

ONS JABEUR: I believe that anything is possible. I started this tournament playing match-by-match because I do not want to start thinking of the final. I just want to see how things go, but I'm a dreamer. I've always said it. I am a dreamer. I'm a believer.

I'll keep playing match-by-match for that second week. It's a completely new week that is about to start, and I hope it's going to work for me.