“The most painful loss of my career” - Heartbroken Ons Jabeur breaks down in tears after Wimbledon final defeat
Ons Jabeur has stated that the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final defeat to Marketa Vondrousova is the most painful loss of her career.
Last year's runner-up Jabeur took on Vondrousova in the title match on Saturday, July 15. She was looking for her maiden Grand Slam title, which would have seen her become the first Arab and African Major winner.
However, it was not meant to be, as the Tunisian went down 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court to end up as the runner-up at a Slam for the third time in a year. In her on-court interview after the match, Jabeur was moved to tears as she tried to express her thoughts.
“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,” she said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“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 added.
The World No. 6 thanked the fans for their support and vowed to win the Wimbledon title someday in the future.
“It was an amazing tournament for me. I wish I continue until the end. I want to thank my team for always believing in me and we're gonna make it one day. I promise you,” she said.
“Thank you guys for coming. Thank you for cheering for me. The energy is amazing from day one here at Wimbledon. I really appreciate your support. It's been a tough journey but that's tennis and I promise I come back one day and win this tournament,” she added.
Despite being overcome by sorrow, Jabeur made sure she congratulated Vondrousova on her maiden Major win.
“I want to say congratulations to Marketa and her team for this amazing tournament. You're [an] amazing player and I know you had a lot of injuries, so I'm very happy for you,” she stated.
Marketa Vondrousova defeats Ons Jabeur, becomes first unseeded Wimbledon champion in Open Era
Marketa Vondrousova needed just 80 minutes to defeat Ons Jabeur and clinch the Venus Rosewater Dish. She came out strong, brushed aside getting broken early, and fought back to win the contest in straight sets.
With that, Vondrousova became the first unseeded Wimbledon champion in the Open Era and the second in tennis history (after Billie Jean King in 1963). This is only the World No. 42's second title on the WTA Tour, after her 2017 win in Biel.
She is the third Czech to win the title, after Jana Novotna and Petra Kvitova. While Martina Navratilova won the Wimbledon title nine times, she did so as an American.