Ons Jabeur Lights Up Centre Court With More To Come!
Wimbledon
July 14, 2023
Ons Jabeur made a Centre Court ticket very special indeed on Thursday.
So just imagine what the atmosphere is going to be like at the spiritual home of tennis for the next three days.
We have the men’s semi-finals, the women’s final and the men’s final in quick succession. What a weekend!
But the magnificent climax to this extraordinary tournament has already begun.
Ons Jabeur has already turned Centre Court into a cauldron – and made Wimbledon 2023 one of the greatest Championships in recent memory.
The Wimbledon crowd have taken the little Tunisian to their hearts after last year’s run to the final.
This year the special relationship between the Wimbledon 2023 spectators and the charismatic Jaebur has carried her all the way back from the brink.
Ons, who is trying to become the first African and first Arab woman to win Wimbledon, knew the audience had made the difference as soon as her comeback was complete.
She said afterwards: ‘Thank you to the crowd that kept me in the match. Thank you for believing in me.’
It seemed that Jabeur had almost stopped believing in her own ability to overcome the power of Aryna Sabalenka, though.
She was a set and 2-4 down when the fightback began. Centre Court had tried to do the same for Ukrainian favourite Elina Svitolina an hour or two earlier, but it hadn’t worked.
Marketa Vondrousova had played so exquisitely well in every department that she’d won 6-3, 6-3 – and was already waiting in the final.
It seemed for all the world that Sabalenka would become her opponent. Two more games would have done the job – and she was totally dominant.
But Centre Court is the historic home of sporting passion – and the crowd is extraordinary. They inspired Jabeur to stay in the fight.
With every point she won, the noise grew. Finally there was a riot of sound to match anything heard at Tennis HQ since Andy Murray lifted the Wimbledon crown.
The Wimbledon 2023 crowd had cheered Jabeur to glory. Now she knew she could look forward to a second successive final – and expect the same noisy support.
On her way to that epic 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3 victory, some of her crushing winners were out of this world – just like the joyful atmosphere she had generated.
Yet the likeable Sabalenka was also warmly cheered in defeat, for her contribution to an unforgettable match.
Saturday’s final should be a classic. Jabeur was quick to warn that Vondrousova had already beaten her twice this year – and it is going to be tough.
Technically, the best all-round tennis on semi-finals day was played by Vondrousova. She’s in the groove with a heavenly blend of subtlety and power, of deft drop shots and fizzing passes.
Ons Jabeur has the Centre Court crowd on her side at Wimbledon 2023, though. And that may count for a lot.
One thing is certain. You do not want to miss the euphoric, ecstatic final stages of this tournament on Centre Court.
A ticket at any or all of the next three days really will give you memories to last a lifetime.
We should know. We were there on Thursday – and we know the drama is only going to get more intense.