"Rafael Nadal once said, 'If, if, if, doesn't exist'" - Ons Jabeur leaves future Grand Slam success up to destiny after Wimbledon 2023 setback
Ons Jabeur has drawn inspiration from Rafael Nadal's mindset as she continues her pursuit of a Grand Slam title following her defeat in the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final.
One year after finishing runner-up to Elena Rybakina at SW19, Jabeur suffered another heartbreaking defeat at the grasscourt Major. In the title clash, Marketa Vondrousova defeated the 28-year-old 6-4, 6-4 to win her maiden Grand Slam title.
After giving the Canadian Open a miss, the Tunisian will be back in action at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
During a press conference at the WTA 1000 event, Ons Jabeur opened up about her shift in perspective. She divulged that she was no longer dwelling on her defeat in the Wimbledon final and was focused on the present instead. The Tunisian cited Rafael Nadal's famous quote from Wimbledon 2019 as the inspiration behind her newfound outlook.
"Rafa once said 'If, if, if, doesn't exist'. So for me, 'if I did this, if I did that,' I'm not going to focus with that. I'm just focusing on what's happening right now," she said.
The World No. 5 also stated that she would accept a similar setback at the upcoming US Open without being disheartened. She shared her intention to redouble her efforts in the case of such an eventuality.
The 28-year-old then highlighted her commitment to working hard while acknowledging that the final outcome of winning a Grand Slam title would be determined by her destiny, a factor beyond her control.
"Again, if it doesn't happen at the US Open, I'm not going to be sad about it. I'm just going to keep trying. If it's going to work, then great, if not, then I believe that's my destiny. What's supposed to happen to me, it's something I cannot change. That's the beauty of it when you believe in it. As long as I'm doing my best, as long as I'm doing 100 percent, I think that's fair," she added.
"I believe that I have the level to be a Grand Slam champion" - Ons Jabeur
During the same press conference, Ons Jabeur expressed confidence in her ability to win a Grand Slam and potentially become one of the greatest players in history.
"I believe that I have the level to be a Grand Slam champion. I believe that I could be one of the greatest players. Everything takes time with me, unfortunately. Maybe it's a good thing. We never know," she said.
Following a bye in the first round, the Tunisian will commence her campaign at the 2023 Western & Southern Open against Anhelina Kalinina. Kalinina defeated Zhu Lin 6-3, 7-5 to book her spot against the No. 5 seed.
Ons Jabeur leads 1-0 in her head-to-head against the Ukrainian, having won their sole encounter in the 2022 Charleston Open quarterfinal in straight sets.