Last year, with her victory in Birmingham, Ons Jabeur made history by becoming the first Arab woman to win a WTA tournament. Today, the 27-year-old player added to this record by adding her first WTA 1,000 category title. She did so by winning the women’s final of the Mutua Madrid Open, where she beat the American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 0-6, 6-2 in almost two hours.
Serving has been Jabeur’s main asset throughout the tournament (27 direct serves in six matches), and today he took advantage of it to hurt a Pegula who was thrown, without having given up a set in her last four games. In what was the first final in a tournament of this category for both, Jabeur was better, except for a second set in which he received a bagel for getting carried away. In this way, the Tunisian adds her second title in the circuit and improves her record in finals (two wins and four losses).
Jabeur, who arrived in Madrid as number 10 in the world, will rise this Monday to 7th place in the WTA ranking, equaling his best record and lowering Garbiñe Muguruza one position. Ons’ victory means that, in the last three women’s editions of the tournament, a player has been proclaimed champion of the event for the first time. “Playing against Jessica is always a tough battle. I have lost several finals, but today it was time to win. I feel great in Spain, next year I will try to come back speaking a little more Spanish”pointed out on the track of Manolo Santana the champion.
