SUMMARY
- Ons Jabeur bares her tennis journey in the documentary "Ons Jabeur, a Star from Tunisia," revealing her quest for a first Major title.
- Despite reaching the Wimbledon finals, she faced a devastating defeat, losing both her dream for a Slam trophy and motherhood.
Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian tennis sensation, bares her soul in a forthcoming documentary that sheds light on her inspiring journey to the top echelons of women’s tennis. The film, aptly titled “Ons Jabeur, a Star from Tunisia,” not only captures her rise but also delves into the profound struggles she faced following a devastating loss at Wimbledon.
In the teaser trailer shared by producer Matt Critchley, Jabeur opens up about doubting herself and the pressure of not wanting to let people down. Having reached no. 2 in the WTA rankings in 2022, she admits, “Sometimes I really doubt myself, I don’t know if I can do it.” The documentary covers her quest for a first Major title, marked by three Grand Slam finals in the last two years.
The focal point of Jabeur’s journey was reaching the Wimbledon Championships finals for the second time in her career, where she played a nervy match and suffered a straight-sets defeat to Marketa Vondrousova. Jabeur confessed, still feeling the ripples of the defeat, “It was the tournament where I said…I’m going to win it and then maybe take a break and have a baby.”
The film is ready! My last 9 months has been dedicated to Producing a film about @Ons_Jabeur who battled against the odds to reach the Wimbledon Final – then lost it. But that is only a tiny part of her story.
Hugely proud of what we’ve achieved, this is a taster of what’s coming pic.twitter.com/cfIzo65w4B— Matt Critchley (@MattCritchley1) December 28, 2023
The dream of motherhood vanished with the trophy, making the defeat in the finals even more painful. She stated, “So not only not winning Wimbledon, but the idea of having a baby vanished with the trophy.”
Fueled by the unwavering support of her home nation Tunisia, she revealed,” Some countries offered me the passport to play with them, it was much better conditions…better future, but I turned it down.” Jabeur feels that part of her as a player and a person will always be Tunisian, which will spur her to make history and win a Slam.
Despite the setbacks in 2023 Jabeur remains determined to pursue her Grand Slam dreams, with the 2024 Australian Open presenting a new opportunity just around the corner in the coming season.
Ons Jabeur’s 2023 tennis journey
In 2023, Ons Jabeur had an exciting year in tennis. She won two WTA tour titles and reached the Wimbledon final, facing both triumphs and difficulties along the way. She started the year well reaching the semifinals of Adelaide International where she lost to Linda Noskova, and made it to the second round of the Australian Open losing to Markéta Vondrousova in the second round in 3 sets.
A knee injury briefly kept her away, but she returned in March at Indian Wells, reaching the third round. In April, Jabeur achieved a big win at the 2023 Credit One Charleston Open, where she defeated Belinda Bencic in the final. Her injury woes continued to hamper her as she had to retire from the Stuttgart Open semifinal due to a left calf injury.
At the 2023 French Open, Jabeur did well, making it to the quarterfinals for the first time, a significant achievement in her career. Jabeur’s standout moment was at Wimbledon, where she beat Grand Slam champions and higher seeds, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka en route to reaching the finals. However, she lost to Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets despite being 4-2 up in the first set.
Ons Jabeur after her loss in the #Wimbledon final. pic.twitter.com/23NVNhQCnG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 15, 2023
Despite her disappointment at the All England Club, she ended her year on a high note winning her fifth title by defeating Diana Shnaider at the 2023 Ningbo Open. Ons Jabeur ended the year as world no. 6. Her 2023 season was full of some exciting moments and challenges that defined her tennis journey.