September 20th is a landmark day for women’s tennis. American legend Billie Jean King changed the trajectory of the WTA when she took on Bobby Riggs and defeated him. Tennis players and fans alike wished King for her success, Ons Jabeur being one of them. But the Tunisian found herself in a bit of a pickle with fans as she crashed out of the Guadalajara Open this week.
50 years ago, King locked horns with Riggs, in what came to be known as the ‘Battle of the Sexes.’ The stakes were high for Billie, but her win ensured that women got the same prize money as men at the US Open.
Billie took to X (formerly Twitter) to commemorate the day and tributes poured in. Jabeur was one of the players who thanked King for everything she had done. She added that the fight for equity was still on.
Thank you @BillieJeanKing for everything you’ve done for women tennis, the battle for equity is still on 💪🏼 https://t.co/YLnuaVAI0s
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) September 20, 2023
However, since Jabeur tweeted this, fans have blasted her for squandering opportunities. Ons was in the lead against a gritty Martina Trevisan at Guadalajara, but when it seemed Jabeur had the match, she lost.
Jabeur has a history of coming close but never quite winning. She made it to three Grand Slam finals in her career and lost all of them, the most recent being Wimbledon this year. Naturally, fans are upset with Jabeur, with one user commenting, “You don’t deserve equity.” Here are a few reactions.
you don’t deserve equity LMFAO 2 points away and chokes match
— ITALIAN MATCHFIXING SYNDICATE (@lidew_) September 21, 2023
Do you enjoy fix you matches?
Hit the ball to out on every break points
I hope you never win a grand slam— Milad (@Milad27581709) September 21, 2023
Ons Jabeur has come under fire for not making the most of her chances. Her miserable story at Slams continued this year, even though Ons believed she had identified the issue. Now her loss to Trevisan is making people question if she really is cut out for a major title.
Ons Jabeur vs. Martina Trevisan: match summary
Trevisan defeated the top-seeded Jabeur to make it through to the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open. The Italian emerged victorious, defeating Jabeur 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-3, in a closely fought encounter.
Martina was relentless throughout the match. She dragged the opening set into a tiebreak, which she eventually lost. Jabeur got over the line despite Trevisan saving eight set points. Ons had the chance to win the match when the scores were at 5-3, but Trevisan stepped up her game. Not only did she win the second set, but she won the decider too.
Following her victory, an ecstatic Martina praised Jabeur for her spirit. She was all smiles while declaring that it was her night, for knocking the top seed out of the tournament.
Martina Trevisan after beating Jabeur:
“It was an incredible match. I admire Ons as a player, but more as a person. I like her so much. She’s always smiling. She’s a big fighter. I’m really sorry for her today. Tennis is like this. There’s just 1 winner. Tonight is my night” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1SmZrnaVzi
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 21, 2023
Ons Jabeur has had a decent year, but she will rue all the chances she missed. But the Tunisian is a fighter, and she will overcome this mishap the way she always does.