Ons Jabeur came close to winning a Grand Slam in 2022, and she will go all out to take the final step this season.
Jabeur was among the most improved WTA players last year. She was already enjoying a solid career before last season, but her watchable style attained even better results throughout 2022.
The Tunisian secured a WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open, beating Jessica Pegula in the final. Her game, which uses a lot of variety, perfectly suited the faster clay in the Spanish capital, and she took advantage of that.
Jabeur made herself a worldwide name by reaching the Wimbledon final. Her friendly nature off the court and playing style, which includes drop shots, slices, and outrageous winners, made the Tunisian a fan favorite.
She was on the verge of securing a maiden Grand Slam title after taking the opening set in the final against Elena Rybakina, but the big-serving Kazakhstani played an incredible final two sets to snatch glory away from Jabeur.
Two months later, Jabeur progressed to a second Grand Slam final at the US Open but lost out to Iga Swiatek. She paid the price for starting slowly in the opening set, losing the second set on a tiebreak despite improving because Swiatek had found her rhythm.
Despite that disappointment, tennis legend Martina Navratilova thinks Jabeur has the game to disrupt Swiatek's domination of the sport if she steps up and produces better in the significant moments.
Navratilova might be happy to hear that Jabeur plans to play freely at the Grand Slams next year. That approach might help her produce her best when it matters most.
"I was ready to win this year (2022), but it didn't happen. I'm doing everything possible to win a Grand Slam. I'm just going to go for it. This year, 2023, is about just being free and playing my game. I'm glad I got the experience from two finals in a Grand Slam."
"We've worked really hard to improve a lot of things, we are more aware of my game. I feel like this year is going to be very special for me. I gave it all, I put in the hard work during practices, and I'm hitting the ball well."
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