WTA No. 5 Ons Jabeur explained how this year's Wimbledon finals defeat left her with a bitter pill to swallow.
The Tunisian trailblazer opened up on how Marketa Vondrousova's maiden Grand Slam win left her licking a wound that needed a significant period away from tennis to recover. Mentally, Jabeur checked out, and she postponed her immediate return to tennis at the start of the summer hard-court swing.
Jabeur stated that she was hurt, possibly a tougher defeat to take than last year's Wimbledon loss to Elena Rybakina or at the US Open that same year, but remained confident that with time, she would be able to wipe off her near-miss from her memory bank.
"100%. I honestly wasn't ready to play Montreal. I wasn't ready to come back soon on tour because I felt like I needed time for myself. They say time heals. I'm still waiting a bit. The Wimbledon loss still hurts (smiling)."
Nevertheless, Jabeur admits the situation is a lot more controlled and better than the grim July in the aftermath of her defeat. Time spent with her closest people and family members gave her a different perspective to overcome hurdles and learn from past failures. Having played over 30 matches this season, she certainly needed a break.
"It's much better than a month ago, for sure. Yeah, just I think I'm 28 years old now, I've learned from the mistakes of playing, playing, playing tournaments all the time. I think I was really proud of myself to just take a step back, enjoy time with my family, and get ready for the next tournaments."
The 28-year-old will have the chance to atone for last year's defeat to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 US Open final. Seeded fifth at this year's event, Jabeur is set to begin her campaign for a first Grand Slam title against Colombia's Camila Osorio on Tuesday.
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