sport news TRACY AUSTIN: Get ready for the clash of the crafty couple in the women's ... trends now
We started talking about a ‘Big Three’ in women’s tennis of Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and last year’s champion Elena Rybakina — but if Ons Jabeur wins the Wimbledon title on Saturday, it will now be the ‘Big Four’.
The Tunisian lost the final a year ago and also fell to defeat at the same stage of the US Open but has worked a lot with her mental coach Melanie Maillard since then.
I think even if you lose, it’s very helpful to have been in the final for the experience of the day. It’s a different feeling — the locker room is empty, you have that thought of ‘one more win and you’re a major champion’.
It’s a big moment and often some players get overwhelmed by that. So to have been in that situation before is crucial. Jabeur’s opponent Marketa Vondrousova has also lost a Grand Slam final — at Roland Garros in 2019 — and also missed out in the 2021 Olympics final in Tokyo.
You learn about yourself in losing finals. Ons had the Venus Rosewater Dish as a screensaver on her phone. She is from a small country and she is such a role model for women — especially Arab women — and so many from the continent are inspired by her.
The crafty couple of Ons Jabeur and Marketa Vondrousova will compete in Saturday's final
Both women will be looking to follow in the footsteps of last year's winner Elena Rybakina
Ons loves to entertain when she is on the court, though she is doing less of that now and is more focused on winning. The crowd loves her.
She has the whole of Africa behind her. I wouldn’t want to play with that pressure, so I wouldn’t bring it up if I were her coach. Keep it micro thinking and focus on her game plan and be clear on tactics.
Jabeur has really compact strokes and an accurate serve which are assets on grass. She’s 5ft 6in, she’s got good balance and moves really well. Both of these players can be behind and on the defence but they chase winners down and steal points.
She is playing fewer slices and drop shots and playing more straightforward tennis. Her forehand is a big asset, her backhand down the line is deep. She absorbs power well — as she has shown in beating Petra Kvitova, Rybakina and Sabalenka — but this match is more about creating her own pace.
Ons has lost the first set of her last three
