Ons Jabeur gets consoled by Princess Kate after a loss at Wimbledon made her 0-3 in Slam finals

Ons Jabeur sought solace in the aftermath of her Wimbledon defeat, which marked her third loss in Grand Slam finals. Despite falling short against Marketa Vondrousova in the Wimbledon final on Saturday, Jabeur displayed her emotions as she made her way to the post-match news conference, wiping away tears with a tissue.

Expressing her deep disappointment, Jabeur described it as the most agonizing loss of her career. She found solace in the comforting embrace offered by Princess Kate during the trophy presentation at Centre Court. The 28-year-old Tunisian tennis player acknowledged the value of hugs, stating that they are always welcomed. Furthermore, she received words of consolation from Kim Clijsters, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, who had also experienced defeat in her initial four major finals before eventually clinching victory in the subsequent four.

Jabeur’s 6-4, 6-4 loss to Vondrousova, who became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon, followed her previous defeats to Elena Rybakina in the final at the All England Club in July and Iga Swiatek in the final at the U.S. Open in September.

Reflecting on her journey, Jabeur emphasized that certain things cannot be forced and that it was not meant to be. She remains hopeful that, like others who have encountered failure, success will eventually come her way.

The day started on an awkward note for Jabeur when she inadvertently violated the All England Club’s rules by wearing black attire during the warm-up session, requiring her to interrupt the practice and change her clothes. She explained that it was an honest mistake.

Although Jabeur, seeded sixth at Wimbledon, had defeated four past Grand Slam champions en route to the final, including Rybakina, she admitted to feeling tense against Vondrousova. The statistics supported her observation, as her first serve accuracy was only 48%, and she was broken six times during the match. Additionally, her backhand stroke faltered, resulting in 17 unforced errors compared to Vondrousova’s 13. Overall, Jabeur made 31 unforced errors.

Despite attempting to relax by taking deep breaths and engaging in self-talk, Jabeur found it challenging to overcome her struggles. The experience was painful for her because she felt so close to achieving her desired outcome, only to find herself back at square one.

During the match, Jabeur initially took a 4-2 lead in the first set, only to lose 16 of the next 18 points. She then regained an advantage of 3-1 and 4-3 in the second set but failed to maintain the lead.

Jabeur, who enjoys popularity among her peers and fans, received significant support from the spectators throughout the match, as anticipated by Vondrousova. The Czech Republic’s 24-year-old left-handed player, who had previously lost in a major final at the 2019 French Open, acknowledged Jabeur’s immense talent and expressed confidence in her future success.

Now, Jabeur will regroup and strategize on how to reach the pinnacle of her sport’s most important events. Having established herself as one of the top players in women’s tennis, she has reached three of the past five major finals. Additionally, her 28 grass-court victories over the past three seasons surpass those of any other player since Maria Sharapova achieved 30 wins from 2004 to 2006, a period that included a Wimbledon title.

Jabeur remains committed to learning and maintaining a positive attitude, which she believes will propel her forward. She recognizes that dwelling on her defeat will not contribute positively to her future endeavors.

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• Wimbledon Official Website
• Ons Jabeur’s Official Website
• International Tennis Hall of Fame
• AP Tennis
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• Howard Fendrich on Twitter