Ons Jabeur recalls breaking down crying at the Charleston Open final, losing 2 Grand Slam finals in 2022, and more
Ons Jabeur had a brilliant 2022 season, reaching two Grand Slam finals and finishing the year as World No. 2. Although the Tunisian lost both the summit clashes—to Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon and to Iga Swiatek at the US Open—Jabeur ended up winning two WTA titles this season, the Madrid Open and the German Open.
The 28-year-old lost two other finals in 2022, falling to Belinda Bencic at the Charleston Open and Swiatek at the Italian Open. After the former, Jabeur became emotional at the presentation ceremony, breaking down crying after losing another final.
Recalling the moment in a recent interview with the Tennis Channel, Ons Jabeur admitted that it was a "tough" loss, but at the same time, the World No. 2 opined that it helped her control her nerves during the Madrid Open final when she beat Jessica Pegula in three sets.
"Crazy year, ended up with a lot of titles, great memories. Didn't start really great. Charleston was kind of tough to lose another final, so yeah, I couldn't help myself but cry there," Jabeur said. "Definitely that released me to do better in the next event and I got rewarded with my dream title, and that was really amazing and great emotions there."
A year to remember with @Ons_Jabeur 💜 https://t.co/9LT0MyOlyg
Despite the losses, the Tunisian was happy with her performances in Rome, SW19, and Flushing Meadows, adding that they helped show her she belonged in the later stages of big tournaments. With the experience now under her belt, Jabeur declared that she was "hungrier" to finally win a Grand Slam in 2023.
"Rome was really amazing. My first Grand Slam final - Wimbledon - was really great. That gave me a lot of confidence to have another Grand Slam final," Ons Jabeur said. "I didn't get the trophy that I wanted but those trophies just prove to me that I can be in the far stages, I can be one of the best players. And I will definitely be hungrier in 2023 to lift the title."
Ons Jabeur to kick start 2023 season at WTA 500 event in Adelaide
Ons Jabeur will be starting her 2023 season at the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, where she is the top seed. The World No. 2 will be joined by the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina, Danielle Collins and others, including eight of the Top-20 WTA players in the world.
Jabeur is then expected to play another event in Adelaide the following week, from where she will move to Melbourne for the Australian Open. Having missed the event last year, the Tunisian will be hoping to improve on her best result at the Melbourne Major this time around, which is a quarterfinal run from the 2020 edition.