Novak Djokovic sends his love to Ons Jabeur after Tunisian's Wimbledon final defeat
Novak Djokovic has sent his love to Ons Jabeur after the Tunisian suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final.
Jabeur entered the final of the grasscourt Major as the favorite over unseeded Marketa Vondrousova. The Tunisian had avenged last year's final defeat to Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals and taken down second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.
Despite leading at 4-2 in the first set of the final, the World No. 6 was unable to hold on to her lead. Vondrousova won 16 of the next 18 points and four consecutive games to claim the opening set.
Similarly, Jabeur led at 3-1 in the second set before the Czech bounced back to claim a 6-4, 6-4 victory in 80 minutes.
Having suffered three Grand Slam final losses in a row, Jabeur admitted later that the defeat to Vondrousova was the "most painful" loss of her career. However, she also expressed her intention to bounce back stronger.
“I'll try to speak because this is very, very tough. But I'm gonna look ugly in the photos so it's not gonna help. I think this is the most painful loss of my career. It's gonna be a tough day today for me, but I'm not gonna give up and I'm gonna come back stronger and win,” she said.
Novak Djokovic took to social media to express his support for the Tunisian after her defeat, commenting with three heart emojis.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also acknowledged his fellow Serb Olga Danilovic's triumph at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden. Danilovic defeated top seed Emma Navarro 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3 in the final to secure her maiden title at the WTA 125 level.
She celebrated her victory on social media.
"What a week. Title in Båstad! Enjoyed every second on court here!" she wrote on Instagram.
Djokovic reshared Danilovic's post and commended her on her win.
"Idemoooo (let's go)," he commented.
Novak Djokovic set to lock horns with Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon 2023 final
Novak Djokovic will take on Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster clash in the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final on Sunday, July 16. The Serb defeated Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) to reach his ninth final at the grasscourt Major.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz eased past Danill Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to advance to his second Grand Slam final and his maiden Wimbledon final.
Djokovic and Alcaraz's head-to-head record stands level at 1-1. However, it was the Serb who came out on top in their most recent encounter in the 2023 French Open semifinals, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 after the Spaniard was plagued with cramping issues during the clash.
Should Djokovic emerge victorious, he will equal Roger Federer's record of eight titles at the grasscourt Major. The winner of the Wimbledon 2023 final will also claim the World No. 1 ranking.