Ons Jabeur and a three-year uphill race to become the African first runner-up at Wimbledon: Rybakina will play

Ons Jabeur He is making history with each new success he adds to his career. For the past four years, she has broken record after record for her country and her region. And her time at Wimbledon – which isn’t over yet – is no exception. The Tunisian, number two in the world and third favorite of the competition, beat the German 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 on Thursday Tatjana Maria, one of the revelations of the tournament, made it to the final of the English Grand Slam and became the first African player to reach the decisive stage in a “major” in the Open era. Saturday will aim more, when he faces the Kazakh in the duel for the title Elena Rybakina23rd, who in the other semifinal beat the Romanian Simona Halep, 18th, 6-3, 6-3.

“I have no words. For me it is a dream come true for all the years of work and sacrifice. I am very happy that it was worth it and I hope to continue like this for another match,” said Jabeur, 27, a few minutes after signing, the most important victory of her professional career, which has already transformed her into the best African tennis player of all time.

In October 2018, the Tunisian became the first player from her country to reach the final of a WTA tournament. She was in Moscow, where she, after qualification (she was 101st in the standings), she lost the last game with the Russian Daria Kasatkina, then number six in the world. After that performance she entered the top 100. Before her, the only Tunisian ever to appear in that group had been Selima Sfarwhich hit 75th place in July 2001.

In early 2020, he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open (lost to American Sofia Kenin, then champion) and broke another barrier for Tunisian tennis. And a month later, she was the first born in that country to reach the top 50. And last year, she was the first to win a title in the most important circuit of women’s tennis, winning the first of her in her career. her in Birmingham. She celebrates that each new milestone in her career can inspire future generations.

“It’s always about Tunisia in some way, but I want to go a little further, inspire many more generations. Tunisia is connected to the Arab world, the African continent, that’s where we want more players to come out. It’s not like Europe. or other places, where I want to see more players is in my country, in the Middle East, in Africa. I think we never believed enough we could do it, but now I’m trying to show it to them, I hope people will be inspired, “he commented.

This 2022 didn’t start in the best way, as he had to retire from Australia due to a back injury. But since her return she plays at the highest levels and is one of the two strongest players of the season, together with the Polish Iga Swiatek, number one in the world.

Number two in the world for a few weeks, Jabeur has two titles (the WTA 1000 Rome and the 500 in Berlin, just before Wimbledon) and two other finals (Charleston and Rome) so far this year. His total record in 2022 is 36 wins and 9 losses. And they have won 22 of their last 24 games.

The latest, this Thursday against Maria, who had made history as the oldest semi-finalist of a Grand Slam in the Open era, the first mother of two to reach that instance of Majors since Margaret Court at Wimbledon 1975, and the fourth player out of the Top 100 (she is 103rd) to enter the top four of All England. But she couldn’t extend her big moment against Jabeur, in a fun match, which the Tunisian played overwhelming tennis in the third set.

In that final chapter, the world number two quickly built a 5-0 lead, which proved insurmountable for her rival. And two games later, she sealed the serve win.

Friends off the pitch, after the victory, Jabeur recognized Maria’s great performance. “I wanted to share that moment with her in the end because she’s such an inspiration to so many players, including myself,” he said.

“Last year, when I lost in the quarter-finals here, I told my psychologist that I would be back the next season for the title. I love everything here. Winning this tournament has been my main goal since the beginning of the season, too. from last year. “said Jabeur. “Now there is still a game to play, another step to take and hopefully to be able to win it. I know I can do it.”

Rybakina, the unexpected rival

Elena Rybakina, number 23 in the world, played a surprise on Thursday beating the Romanian Simona Halep, 18th in the standings and All England champion in 2019, 6-3, 6-3, entering the Wimbledon final for the first time. And like Jabeur, the Kazakh also became the first representative of Kazakhstan to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament.

“I don’t know how to describe how I feel. Everything is going very well, I had prepared myself well mentally. I did my best and I managed to have an incredible game,” commented the 23-year-old.

Rybakina was born in Moscow, but has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, so she managed to enter the British Major, despite the ban on Russian and Belarusian players due to the invasion of Ukraine.

His best Grand Slam result so far has been the quarter-finals of Roland Garros 2021. And this is only his second appearance on the London pitch, where he made his debut last year, making it to the round of 16. And by beating Halep, she became the youngest runner-up at Wimbledon since Garbiñe Muguruza in 2015.

Holder of two WTA titles, Bucharest 2019 and Hobart 2020, on Saturday he will seek the most important trophy of his career against the Tunisian.

“It will be a great match. Ons is a great player, it is very difficult to play against her and the return will not be easy,” said the Kazakh of the next duel.

With information from agencies