Ons Jabeur is slowly starting to win matches again, but she will face always-tricky Leylah Fernandez at the 2024 Madrid Open.
It's been a very tough year for Jabeur, who hasn't played the type of tennis we know she can play. She's also dealt with some physical issues, which certainly didn't help her.
Fernandez has had a similar year in the sense that she, too, was trying to find her best tennis for much of it. At times, she did show that signature flashy style, but for the most part, it's been very inconsistent.
Now, they will face off at the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, and it will be a very interesting matchup, so let's see what might happen in this meeting.
Head-to-head:
Jabeur and Fernandez have played twice so far, and both times, the Tunisian player won. Both matches were quite close as they went to three sets, but neither was played on clay. That's a surface Jabeur likes far more, even though the Canadian is quite capable of playing on it.
She had a good run at Roland Garros last year when Martina Trevisan stopped her. Jabeur actually won the Madrid Open in 2022, which shows how much she likes it in the Spanish capital.
She didn't play last year because of an injury, so this is the first time she's back after lifting a trophy. A good start in the second round should certainly give her confidence, and she's the minor favourite in this match.
| Ons Jabeur | Leylah Fernandez | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | H2H | 0 |
| 9 | Rank | 35 |
| 29 | Age | 21 |
| 4-7 | 2024 W/L | 9-8 |
| 433-239 | Career W/L | 174-112 |
Prediction:
Stylistically, Jabeur does have an edge here because she has the better serve. The problem is consistency. Will she hit it consistently? We'll see, but if she does, she'll have an easier time doing well here.
I think she'll be able to outplay Fernandez mostly due to her familiarity with the event. Form-wise, neither is looking very good at the moment, so there is no clear advantage there.
Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.
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