"Don't tell my husband that, but yes, I did enjoy that hug" - Ons Jabeur on meeting David Beckham
Ons Jabeur labeled David Beckham as an "amazing person" and also enjoyed their embrace during the football legend's Wimbledon visit.
Jabeur has been in fine form lately, decimating her Wimbledon opponents along the way as she advanced to the third round of the tournament. The Tunisian beat Grand Slam debutant Bai Zhuoxuan 6-1, 6-1, in just 45 minutes to record her second victory in the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
In her post-match press conference, Ons Jabeur was asked about her thoughts on meeting David Beckham. The former Manchester United midfielder attended Wimbledon this week and met a few tennis stars, including Novak Djokovic. The former England footballer was also in the Royal Box, watching Djokovic win his second-round match.
Jabeur said that she was happy to finally meet Beckham and hoped to meet him again in the future.
"Oh, amazing. Such an amazing person. I was really looking forward to meet him. We've been trying to organize this for a long time. Very happy that I spoke to him. Hopefully will meet him again," she said.
Ons Jabeur also hinted that she might have enjoyed her hug with Beckham more than winning her match. She jokingly asked everyone not to disclose their hug to her husband. The Tunisian also said that she loves to meet athletes because they inspire her.
"Yes, yes, yes. Don't tell my husband that, but yes, I did enjoy that hug, and the very nice conversation with him. I love to meet those athletes because I believe I can learn a lot from him. Hopefully I can meet many more," Jabeur added.
Wimbledon 2023: Ons Jabeur will lock horns with Bianca Andreescu in 3R of Wimbledon
Ons Jabeur will take on Canada's Bianca Andreescu in the third round of Wimbledon. The Tunisian will meet Andreescu for the second time on the tour. In their last meeting, in 2021, Jabeur won, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1, in Montreal.
Andreescu kicked off her Wimbledon campaign with a win over Anna Bondar. In the following round, she beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7) to advance to Wimbledon's third round for the first time.
When asked about Andreescu's gameplay, Ons Jabeur reflected on the Canadian's playing style.
"She can be aggressive. She can change up the rhythm. I'm just going to try to take time from her. We can have a similar game because I know she likes to do some dropshots, she likes to slice a bit," Jabeur said.
The winner of the clash between Andreescu and Jabeur will face either Natalija Stevanovic or Petra Kvitova in the fourth round of Wimbledon.