Tennis as a sport has lengthy lent itself to creative expression. In the many years passed by, many gamers have come to be seen as virtuosos, with elements of their video games having acquired cult standing.
Martina Navratilova’s athleticism, Steffi Graf’s grace, John McEnroe’s volleying, Justine Henin’s court-craft, Fabrice Santoro’s magic palms, Agnieszka Radwanska’s creativeness and the entire of Roger Federer’s oeuvre… the checklist can go on.
In a closely coached sport, the place strokes and taking part in types largely observe pre-set templates and set-in-stone strategies, these gamers have given the impression that tennis can generally be extra artwork than science. Prototypes are nonetheless commonplace, however there’s house for the iconoclasts and unbiased thinkers, too.
Ons Jabeur, a self-confessed romantic, is the most recent entrant on this unique checklist. Friendly, charming and at all times sporting a giant smile, the 28-year-old Tunisian is among the many most artistic of at the moment’s tennis gamers.
She is ranked No. 4 on the planet and on Sunday triumphed on the Charleston Open (WTA 500) by beating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, incomes her first title of the season, her second on clay and the fourth of her profession. Having struggled with a knee harm for the reason that Charleston Open, it was Jabeur’s return to her aggressive greatest.
Ingenious stroke-making
And if these gasps and yelps from many an onlooker, when Jabeur got here up with breathtaking drop photographs, ingenious slices and trick photographs, together with the front-facing tweener, are sufficient of a barometer, she may simply be this period’s ticket to tennis as ‘religious experience’.
Jabeur’s inventory has largely been constructed on her superlative efficiency within the 2022 season. She excelled on clay, making the ultimate at Charleston, profitable in Madrid (WTA 1000) and ending runner-up in Rome (WTA 1000) to Iga Swiatek.
Moulding her sport to clay: Jabeur’s drop photographs and variations proved very efficient on Charleston’s green-grey clay, serving to safe her first title this 12 months. She will hope they’re simply as profitable on Roland-Garros’ purple grime when the clay-court Major begins subsequent month. Photo credit score: Getty Images
Though she crashed out within the first spherical at Roland-Garros, she shortly dusted it off to win on grass at Berlin and made a fascinating run to the ultimate at Wimbledon, the place her finesse and really feel for the floor stood out.
Jabeur’s success wasn’t restricted to the pure surfaces. At the US Open, she reached her second Major last, shedding to top-ranked Swiatek however not earlier than firmly establishing her credentials because the foremost challenger to the Pole’s standing as tennis’ undisputed No.1.
What aided this was a silken all-court sport. At 5’6”, Jabeur is diminutively constructed in comparison with her friends and doesn’t possess the massive serve which may have given her the first-mover benefit.
But she compensates along with her intelligence, hitting a blinding array of photographs at various trajectories and angles. Jabeur’s tennis is cerebral and witty, one thing that’s stated to have been her trademark way back to 2011 when she gained the junior French Open singles title. She didn’t surrender on the strategy regardless of taking six extra years to interrupt into the WTA top-100.
Comfortable on grime
If on grass she makes use of the slice to nice impact, on clay, her drop photographs and variations — even when devoid of top-spin — assist her exploit all areas of the courtroom. In truth, for the reason that begin of the 2020 season, Jabeur has gained 38 matches on clay, probably the most by any participant on Tour, another than Swiatek, who gained each the 2020 and 2022 Roland-Garros crowns.
“I just want to continue with this attitude, with this game,” Jabeur advised Tennis Channel after the Charleston triumph. “I am glad that I am finding rhythm and I hope my body will allow me to play.
“I am excited to go to Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. Clay is really amazing and I love it. I am working on a lot of things and it is going my way, step by step. I am going for the Grand Slam this year. We will start with one and go on to the multiple.”
A girl for all surfaces: Jabeur’s high quality on clay and her pure really feel for grass are eye-catching, however the Tunisian can be a contender on artificial courts. Photo credit score: Getty Images
If she does, an already trailblazing profession will hit larger heights. Jabeur comes from part of the world the place tennis is, at greatest, a hinterland sport. In North Africa, soccer is all the craze. Liverpool’s Mo Salah was reportedly favoured by over 1,000,000 folks within the 2018 Egyptian Presidential election when he wasn’t even a candidate.
But such has been Jabeur’s affect — first Tunisian to succeed in a WTA last (Moscow 2018), to make a Slam quarterfinal (2020 Australian Open), to crack the top-50 (February 2020), to win a WTA title (Birmingham 2021) and to safe a WTA 1000 title (Madrid 2022) — that, in response to newspaper stories, there are actually “dozens of mini Onses chasing down balls or practising their forehand each evening” again in Tunisia.
Abdullah Shelbayh is a Jordanian tennis participant ranked 265 on the planet. In February this 12 months, the 19-year-old grew to become the youngest Arab in historical past to succeed in the ultimate of an ATP Challenger occasion. Both Shelbayh and Jabeur have been coached by a sure Rafik Bouchlaka of their early life.
“He [Bouchlaka] always gave me examples of how Ons worked and how badly she wanted it,” Shelbayh advised Arab News. “Ons was his example always, which motivated me a lot.
“Now, it’s great to have someone like her in the Arab world at the top of the game. It’s incredible to have, for the first time ever, someone that high in the ranking. I hope I can be there as well and hope I can learn a lot from her.”
A pressure for development
It is probably apt that Jabeur is a tennis participant, for the game has typically been a pressure for development. The Grand Slam tournaments pay women and men equally — one thing Jabeur needs in each tennis occasion — and no different sport produces as many female and male international champions. This sits effectively along with her larger “mission” of inspiring girls and elevating the sport.
However, the history-making star and transformative champion doesn’t really feel burdened and stays as centered on the on-court job. She is now a part of a WTA Tour that appears to have lastly settled down. It has a dominant pressure in Swiatek and a pecking order. If Swiatek and Jabeur fashioned a duopoly final 12 months, the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula have joined the occasion this season.
“Both Wimbledon and US Open were tough losses for me and I learnt a lot,” Jabeur advised The Guardian. “But it always takes me time. I won my first WTA tournament after losing a few finals. Maybe it will be the same for a Grand Slam. I want to maintain a great level so I can maybe dominate the WTA tour.”