All-Access Hour with Ons Jabeur

“I want to just put a smile on people’s faces”

Stuttgart. Last year, Ons Jabeur reached the final at both Wimbledon and the US Open. A knee injury however side-lined the Tunisian to watch from the stands at the start of the season. The win recently at the WTA tournament in Charleston has shown that the world No. 4 is returning to top form. She spoke about...

...her return to Stuttgart and the conditions in the Porsche Arena:
“It always feels great to come back to Stuttgart. I love clay courts, so I’m just going to enjoy my time here – even though the conditions are a little bit different from last year. The courts are slower and heavier. I’ve been here a couple of days and am getting used to the courts and conditions.”

...her knee injury and her performances since returning to the WTA Tour:
“The process was kind of difficult. I wasn’t expecting much results-wise at the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. I was testing my body. Getting healthier was the important thing, and getting used to playing matches. Especially in Miami, I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent. But I am glad that Charleston was a better start for me. We were able to work harder, and the reward was the tournament win. I think I’m on the right track now. Now for the clay court season.”

...her doubts at the start of the season and the importance of the Charleston title:
“I’m not going to lie. I had a lot of thoughts on my mind in January, positive and negative. Sometimes I felt like, it’s okay. It’s meant to be like it is that I don’t start the year great. The most important thing is that I take care of my health and everything happens for a reason. On the other hand, I saw the other girls were playing really well and was thinking am I going to come back to the same level or not? It was why I took the decision to play Indian Wells and Miami. I wanted to show that I’m back and still alive. Charleston was an unexpected title. For me, it was all about taking one step at a time. I was trying to find more motivation and finding my rhythm on the court. Everything was amazing. I did not expect to not drop a set there.”

...the problem with patience:
“For me, it is more difficult to be patient because I am not a patient person at all. It was important for me to learn to be patient. Tennis is a sport that frustrates and if you’re not patient enough then it will get under your skin.”

...the expectations in her home country, Tunisia:
“The pressure in Tunisia is something else for me. I always try to keep it at a nice level and I don’t like it to be a lot as it’s not good for my game. When you hear people waking up at 3.00 am in the morning to watch your match, then you want to make it worthwhile for them. I want to just put a smile on people’s faces and give them hope to believe in their dreams – not just in tennis.”

...her expectations for the tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid, Rome and the French Open in Paris:
“I’m taking each tournament at a time. The matches in Charleston really helped me gain my confidence and believe more in myself. I now know I’m a player that is able to come back after injuries. What’s most important at the upcoming tournaments is that I regain the game I know I can play. The results will follow. I will try not to put pressure on defending points.”

...the first round match between Jelena Ostapenko and Emma Raducanu and then the game in the last 16 against the winner:
“I will be watching a little bit. They are two great players and both hit the ball very hard. Ostapenko hits maybe a bit harder. I’m going to have some popcorn and enjoy the match. I think it’s going to be a beautiful one. I hope they both get tired.”

...the art of being able to play well on all surfaces:
“I’m a player that connects to nature and surfaces like clay and grass. Basically, it’s important to adapt all the time in tennis. Many players have proved it’s possible. Rafa (Nadal) had problems adapting to grass at the start of his career, then he later won Wimbledon. I think it depends on what you put in your mind. I myself am lucky because my game has a lot of touch. I can hit hard, I can slow down. That’s lucky. So it’s just always about adapting and not complaining.”

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Markus Rothermel

Communications, Sustainability and Politics

Spokesperson Sports Communications

+49 (0) 170 / 911 0779

markus.rothermel@porsche.de

Text

Language

English (Porsche AG)

Archive No.

T23_0175

Release date

2023/04/18