Ons Jabeur is in the second Grand Slam semi-final of her career
| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Events: 29 Aug-11 Aug September |
| Coverage: Daily radio commentary via ` Sounds and the ` Sport website and app, with selected live text commentary and match reports on the website and app |
Ons Jabeur says the confidence she gained from reaching the Wimbledon final that year helped her reach the last four at the US Open.
Jabeur, the fifth seed, now meets Caroline Garcia of France for a spot in the finals at Flushing Meadows in New York.
“It was very difficult to get here,” she said. “The hard court season hasn’t been great for me, but Wimbledon has certainly helped me a lot.
“Knowing that I can reach Grand Slams finals has really helped my game.
“I think the fact that I broke the barrier of being in the quarter-finals has helped my confidence. I believe in myself more.”
Jabeur was ranked ahead of her Kazakh opponent Elena Rybakina and entered the Wimbledon final seeded.
However, she wanted to become the first African or Arab woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open era lost in three sets.
“It’s true that I lost the final, but I know I can win a Grand Slam,” added Jabeur.
“I had to be patient and keep working hard and here I am in the semifinals at the US Open.”
Jabeur (right) lost the 2022 Wimbledon final to Elena Rybakina
Jabeur looked frustrated at times in the second set against Australia’s Tomljanovic, and she was smiled at by the crowd as she twice knocked down her racquet.
In her on-pitch interview after the win, she joked that she might “be fired as Minister of Happiness” – her nickname in her home country, as she smiles more regularly.
“I’m very happy that I was able to adapt very quickly on the hard court,” she added.
“The most important thing for me is to prove to myself that I can play on any surface and that’s very, very important for me and my confidence.”
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