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‘She’s an Inspiration’- A Day After Venus Williams’ Cincinnati Open Heroics, 28YO Tunisian Trailblazer Draws Courage From the Tennis Legend to Fight Back

Published 08/16/2023, 1:10 AM EDT

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After her heartbreaking Wimbledon final, Ons Jabeur is seeking a fresh start. Just a month earlier, she lost her second Wimbledon final to Markéta Vondroušová, shocking the whole tennis world. Returning to the court following her defeat, the 28-year-old Tunisian tennis player won her opening match at the Cincinnati Masters before the US Open.

The fifth-ranked tennis player, who outclassed Anhelina Kalinina in the opening set and took an early lead, recently disclosed the motivation behind her incredible comeback victory. Jabeur recently hailed the 43-year-old Venus Williams, who earned an incredible victory in the first round of the competition, as an incentive to get back on the court and do better again and again.

Ons Jabeur cites Venus Williams as her comeback inspiration

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Facing two Wimbledon final defeats in back-to-back years is a big deal. But while Jabeur was quite heartbroken after her Wimbledon final defeat, rather than sitting around being upset over her defeat, she prepared to dominate the tennis world with her racket. Her inspiration was none other than the seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, as she revealed after her first round victory.

In her on-court interview, she discussed her mindset in the game. She expressed her gratitude towards the former World Number 1 ranked tennis player. Jabeur said, “I saw Venus do it yesterday, coming back from 1–5. She’s an inspiration for me & for many players. I gotta thank her for the comeback today.” The 43-year-old tennis legend’s victory over Veronika Kudermetova was not just any win. It was something that she and her fans have been waiting for the past 4 years, surmounting innumerable trials on the tennis court.

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Jabeur is among those players who have played against the formidable Williams sisters, including the younger one. Interestingly enough, she also shares a heartbreaking record with the legendary sister-duo, Venus and Serena Williams, making herself stand out from the crowd.

Jabeur shares a record with the Williams sisters 

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The 28-year-old Tunisian tennis star, who has long regarded the Williams sisters as a source of encouragement, is undoubtedly on her way to joining them in shattering tennis records. However, few people know that she also set a lesser-known Wimbledon record that was previously solely held by the legendary pair.

The fifth-ranked tennis player lost in the 2023 Wimbledon final. Although this is not the first time someone has suffered back-to-back losses, Venus experienced this in 2002 and 2003 when she fell to her younger sister in both finals. Similarly, following in Venus’ footsteps, Serena also suffered losses to Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep in 2018 and 2019.

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The two individuals listed before the Tunisian player on the list, however, went on to win numerous Grand Slam championships, offering some encouragement that she too can succeed despite setbacks. The main concern is whether Jabeur will be able to make up for her disappointing Wimbledon finish by winning the US Open. What do you think? Post your comments in below!

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Written by:

Pratishtha Prakash

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Pratishtha Prakash is a Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media and Journalism from MIT ADT University, Pune. Being a sports enthusiast, she has been following varied sports like tennis, cricket and Esports from her childhood.
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Edited by:

Mitali Dey