Ons Jabeur erased a one-set, one-break deficit en route to a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 snatch victory over Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, allowing her to reunite in the final at Wimbledon for the second year in a row.
Jabeur will also participate in a third final in five Grand Slam tournaments. The 25-year-old Tunisian is already the only player of Arab origin, and the only representative from the Maghreb, to have reached a final in a major tournament.
She is 0-2 in the league so far, losing to Elena Rybakina at the All England Club last July and Iga Swiatek at the US Open last September.
Thursday’s victory for the sixth seed, which came after she had won 10 of the last 13 games, prevented Sabalenka from snatching the world No. 1 spot from Swiatek. The second seed, who hails from Belarus, entered the game with a 17-1 Grand Slam record in 2023, including winning the Australian Open title.
“I’m very proud of myself, maybe because in the past I would have lost the game and just gone home. But I’m proud to have persisted, to have shown resilience,” said Jabeur.
“I’m still learning how to turn negative energy into positive energy,” she continued, noting that she managed to suppress the frustration she felt in the first run. I can’t control everything: she can slam an ace at any moment. She can hit a big serve, even if I have a break point. It’s frustrating, a bit. But I’m proud to have accepted it, to have drawn on my resources and to have won this match – and, with a bit of luck, this tournament. »
Jabeur’s opponent in the final on Saturday will be Marketa Vondrousova.
Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to reach the Wimbledon final since Billie Jean King in 1963, after defeating Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-3 in the another semi-final.
Ranked 76th in the world and a bye to the main draw, Svitolina has made a return to the WTA Tour following her maternity leave just three months ago. Vondrousova also wanted to pay tribute to him after the match.
“She’s a fighter,” she said, after outscoring her opponent 22-0 in game winners. And he’s a very good person. »
Vondrousova, a 24-year-old Czech player who is ranked 43rd in the world, won seven straight games at one point in the game before sealing the outcome. She will participate in the final of a Grand Slam tournament for the second time in her career, after the French Open in 2019.
“I was really nervous,” admitted Vondrousova, who knelt down with her head down behind the baseline after the match concluded. I was nervous, honestly, the whole game. »
And for good reason. A year ago, she showed up in England with a cast on her arm. She was then a simple tourist in London, come to encourage her best friend and doubles partner, Miriam Kolodziejova, during the qualifying tournament for Wimbledon.
“I didn’t play for six months last year. You never know if you can find the level of play of yesteryear, explained Vondrousova. I’m just grateful to be here, and healthy. To be able to play tennis again. »
For her part, Jabeur trailed 4-2 in the second set when she managed to turn things around. However, it wasn’t until Sabalenka came within a point of taking the 5-3 lead for the Tunisian to pull herself together, after Jabeur sent her forehand into the net when she fell on the center court lawn.
She then removed the twigs of grass from her uniform, before smashing her opponent to begin her comeback.
After unleashing a backhand winner forcing a third set, Jabeur brought her right index finger to her ear, before lifting it skyward and swinging it side to side as she made the switch sides.
Sabalenka’s shots lacked precision for most of the third set: she committed 45 unforced errors, compared to just 14 for Jabeur.
A break gave Jabeur a 4-2 lead, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Sabalenka, one of the strongest punchers in the WTA, managed to dodge four match points before Jabaur sealed the match with her fifth — an ace that reached 103 mph (166 km/h).