‘Even in practice she doesn’t want to miss, every ball counts and she’s so focused on each movement’ - Ons Jabeur’s husband and fitness trainer Karim Kamoun on Serena Williams
Serena Williams surprised fans and pundits alike by announcing her comeback earlier this month. The American star, who has been out of action for almost a year, was given a wildcard entry to the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.
To prepare for the grass Major, Williams took another wildcard to compete at the Rothesay International Eastbourne, where she teamed up with Tunisian World No. 2 Ons Jabeur in the women’s doubles. The pair, nicknamed ‘OnsRena’ by Williams, caught the fans’ imagination with their chemistry and charisma.
Williams and Jabeur won their first two matches and were through to the Eastbourne semifinals, but pulled out after Jabeur injured her knee. Jabeur’s husband and fitness trainer Karim Kamoun, speaking to the official Wimbledon website, said that he has watched and learned a lot from being around the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
“I discovered Serena last week and she’s so, so nice. Her heart, I don’t know how to express, to find the words, but she’s so lovely,” Kamoun said, adding, “Believe me, it was magical. Hanging around Serena’s team was for me like magic.”
The dream duo in Eastbourne 🙌
@serenawilliams | @Ons_Jabeur
📸 Getty/ @the_LTA https://t.co/kyyZFzkfZY
Kamoun also spoke about the intensity of Serena Williams’ game, even on the practice courts.
“First of all, I learned how Serena is acting on court. Even in practice she doesn’t want to miss. She’s hitting the ball and every ball is like she’s playing a match, so every ball counts and she’s so focused on each movement,” Kamoun said.
The Tunisian added that they extended an invitation for Williams to visit their home country, one that the 40-year-old was happy to accept.
“Talking with Serena, joking. We invited her to Tunisia. She was so happy, she said, ‘OK I’m coming, I heard that Venus is coming,’ and Ons said, ‘OK, so you come with Venus.’ It was so nice,” Kamoun said.
"I have high goals" - Serena Williams ahead of Wimbledon 2022
Though Serena Williams is returning to competitive action after 12 months at the age of 40, she has set herself high goals for Wimbledon and exuded confidence at her pre-tournament press conference.
"I have high goals. Every match is hard, every match. You cannot underestimate anyone, on any day. And anyone could have been drawn to play me," Williams said.
"It's nice to be here. I needed to heal physically and mentally. I had no plans [about my return], to be honest. I didn't know when or how I would come back. It just kinda worked out," she added.
Serena Williams, who is unseeded after dropping down the rankings, will face French player Harmony Tan in her first-round match on Tuesday.
on number 24 Serena has her 👀 on number 24
#Wimbledon | @serenawilliams https://t.co/X1LRyc9LVj
Also Check Out :- Wimbledon 2022 Results