"Going to make my husband work tonight" - Ons Jabeur jokes about getting 'massages' for fitness recovery after Australian Open 1R win
Ons Jabeur had to work harder than expected in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open, having been stretched to three sets by Tamara Zidansek. Coming into her opener as one of the favorites for the title at the Melbourne Park, the Tunisian overcame a minor scare to win 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-1 on Tuesday.
Speaking in her on-court interview afterwards, the World No. 2 was asked how she planned to recover after the three-setter and if she would be taking an ice bath to cool down due to the hot conditions in Australia.
Jabeur responded in the affirmative, joking that she also planned to make her husband work on the night. But immediately realizing how it might sound to people, the 28-year-old clarified that she just meant she was going to get a lot of massages from him, explaining how he also doubles up as her fitness coach.
"Yeah, an ice bath, and I'm going to make my husband work tonight, so. There's [going to be] a lot of massages and good recovery," Jabeur said. "Massage, guys, massage. For those who don't know, my husband is also my fitness coach and does everything for me."
"Massage guys, massage!" 😂
@Ons_Jabeur • #AusOpen • #AO2023 https://t.co/DqBJ86ONon
Ons Jabeur could take on teenage prodigy Linda Fruhvirtova in the third round of the Australian Open
Up next, Ons Jabeur will take on the winner of the match between Alison Riske-Amritraj and Marketa Vondrousova in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open. In the third round, however, the second seed could face off against teenage sensation Linda Fruhvirtova, who booked her spot in the second round with a straight-sets win over Jaimee Fourlis.
The Czech takes on wildcard Kim Birrell in her second fixture after the Australian pulled off an upset over 31st seed Kaia Kanepi in her opener. 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, meanwhile, is the favorite to reach the fourth round against the World No. 2.
Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka and 12th seed Belinda Bencic are the favorites to meet Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals, while fourth seed Caroline Garcia is most likely to reach the semifinals from the other quarter. In the final, on the other hand, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is expected to pose problems for the Tunisian from the top half of the draw.
Last year saw Jabeur reach two Grand Slam finals on the trot, losing both -- to Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon and to Swiatek at the US Open. At the Australian Open, her best result has been a quarterfinal finish in 2020.