Jabeur Sees Ningbo Triumph As 'Little Step Towards Winning Grand Slam Title'
Ons Jabeur dreams of winning a Grand Slam and while the Ningbo Open trophy is not that, it's certainly a step towards that in her mind.
Jabeur was a late bloomer, much like Stan Wawrinka doing most of the great things she's done in her career closer to age 30 than 20. It's not the standard path for a tennis player, but still a very valid one, as you can't deny her greatness.
You don't play three Grand Slam finals by chance, though it's not what she's after. She dreams of becoming a Grand Slam champion, and every success she has is considered a step towards that. As a player who lost a few big finals, winning one should give her confidence in the future, and that's how she's treating this most recent triumph.
These are little steps to winning a Grand Slam final. Playing a final here is more relaxed than playing a Grand Slam final, but I think it will help me gain confidence more, and to help me manage the pressure and stress.
This was the second trophy she won this year, and it's a good thing for her with the hope of keeping it going. She could win a few more in the upcoming weeks, as indoor has been a fairly decent surface for her.
The crucial thing is the confidence with which she approached a final in which she was the heavy favourite. She admitted as much after the match, explaining how solid she felt on the court.
I felt more solid [than in previous matches], I felt tactically I played very well, I had an advantage in that I had more experience than her to manage certain points.
Well, it was a great finish to the week and let's see whether she can keep it up in the coming weeks. She's yet to secure a spot at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun though this was a good step towards that too.
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