By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Friday, May 26, 2023
Our Jaberafter lingering injury issues for much of the season on clay, she says she is fit and ready for this year’s Roland Garros.
The No. 7 seeded Tunisian, still on the hunt for her first Grand Slam singles title, is looking forward to the Paris clay after struggling with a calf injury in multiple events leading up to her second Grand Slam of the year.
“Well, in terms of injuries, I feel much better and had a very nice week of training here at the French Open. I will do my best and hope to do better than last year,” Jabeur said at the pre-fight press conference.
When asked if she is 100%, she replied: “Yes, definitely 100%. I’ve trained with a lot of players, moving normally.
“Potatoes. Casserole”. 🥔🇫🇷
Never change @Ons_Jabeur 😂 pic.twitter.com/EJn5lwqT4f
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2023
Jabeur got off to a good start on clay, winning her first title of the year in Charleston. But in Stuttgart, the 28-year-old star suffered a calf injury in Stuttgart. The same injury forced her to withdraw from Madrid the following week. She then lost sets to Paula Badosa in the early round in Rome.
Despite setbacks, the normally optimistic Jabeur is looking forward to a first-round encounter with Italy Lucia Bronzetti which has just reached the final in Rabat. Jabeur is also happy that her opening match will not take place on Sunday, the opening day of the event.
“Well, I don’t play on Sunday. This is a good start. I will play one match at a time, step by step, as we say,” Jabeur said. “The first game will be difficult because it’s on the rise right now. There is no easy first round. I will do my best.
“The most important thing for me is to be in good health because it’s been tough lately with all the injuries I’ve had. I will try to play with the same attitude as in Charleston because I think it was the best tournament I have played this season. I will try to keep up and enjoy the game on the court.
Jabeur is also hoping to get off to a much better start in Paris this year than she did in 2022, when despite being the pre-tournament favourite, she was knocked out of the opening round in three sets by Magda Linette.
With Roland Garros still the only Grand Slam tournament where she has yet to reach the quarter-finals, Jabeur is looking forward to the challenge. Especially since he has so many fans in the City of Lights.
“I love Paris. I love being here. I have great memories, especially after winning Roland Garros juniors,” said Jabeur. “And Tunisia is very close to Paris, so there are many Tunisians who live in Paris or come here to support me.
“2022 was a breakthrough for me. I feel like I’m below – I have more fans cheering me on. I have more support from Tunisia. People love tennis more than before. Maybe they started watching more tennis than football, which is great for me.”
