A big laugh, then Ons Jabeur appeared in the press tent, followed by two gentlemen in subtle black. The companions sat in the background and followed the conversation with the journalists from a distance. Manager? PR consultant? Only when the observer in a suit and tie politely asked for a souvenir photo did it become clear that this was not the usual tennis entourage of a top player: a delegation from the Tunisian Embassy paid a visit to Ons Jabeur.
It was the day at the beginning of the Berlin lawn tennis tournament, and Chiheb Chaouch, charge d’affaires at the Tunisian embassy and currently his state’s highest diplomatic representative in Germany, took the first opportunity to make his way from the consulate in Lindenallee to Grunewald. All of Tunisia, he readily explained when asked, was following Ons Jabeur’s wonderful tennis career. Her role as a role model for sport, for children and young people, said the diplomat, cannot be overestimated: “She is a representative for Tunisia, for the Arab world, for all of Africa.”
Ons Jabeur from Ksar Hellal near Monastir, 28 years old and number four in the world, tops the seed list in the high-quality competition and is in the quarterfinals after beating US qualifier Alycia Parks. She is currently chasing from success to success with verve, verve and an amazingly varied percussion repertoire, true to the motto she wears on her T-shirts in Berlin: “Yalla Habibi”, “Let’s go, darling!”; only the world number one Iga Swiatek has won more matches since the beginning of the year. However, she had to take a long approach to fly high. A year ago, she won her first title on the WTA Tour at the Birmingham grass court: a first for an Arab player in tennis history. In May she triumphed at the classic clay court in Madrid: as the first winner from Africa of a competition in the 1000 category. Yalla Habibi! At the latest she has made a name for herself in the European tennis scene.
Now she is on the verge of becoming a celebrity on the other side of the Atlantic. Because Serena Williams, 40, US tennis diva, sports icon and 23-time Grand Slam tournament winner, has announced her return to the courts and wanted no one else than Ons Jabeur at her side. Next week the two will serve as doubles at the lawn tournament in the English seaside resort of Eastbourne. The news that went over the news ticker during the Berlin tournament apparently surprised those interested in tennis worldwide no less than Jabeur himself. “I’m still over the moon,” she said when asked that it was “a privilege to be with to share the space with her.”
Her last appearance for the time being: A year ago, Serena Williams gave up injured in round one of Wimbledon against Alexandra Sasnowitsch.
(Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP)
The respect of the scene for the exceptional player, who scared away the competition on the center courts for two decades, is enormous; and possibly the awe increased in the twelve months in which Williams put down the racket and only appeared in her role as a celebrity, for example at the Oscars. A year ago, she was last in tennis at Wimbledon, where she had received the heavy silver bowl seven times. Back then, in June 2021, she injured her foot in the first match and limped off the pitch in tears. Now she is determined to return to Wimbledon the week after next, where she made her debut in 1998 – in another century. Of course, the All England Club opens the wrought-iron gates with a wild card for Williams, who is now at the absurdly ranked 1208th in the world rankings. The double before with Jabeur serves to prepare for the competition.
“I’ll serve like Andy Roddick and volley like the Bryan brothers”
The prospect is intimidating, says Jabeur. She will try to make no mistakes – and otherwise emulate the men’s legends in singles and doubles: “I’ll serve like Andy Roddick and play volleys like the Bryan brothers.” Jabeur never played a match against Serena Williams, only occasionally spoke to her and her young daughter. She remembers one exchange: “When she was pregnant, I congratulated her. She said: Thank you, Ons. And I said: You know what my name is? Really? You know that I exist?” She laughs as she narrates the episode in Berlin.
The doubles match was agreed between the two coaches, Issam Jellali and Eric Hechtman, who coached Serena Williams on her comeback and used to work with her older sister Venus Williams. Jabeur gets along well with Venus, who was her sparring partner at times. The appreciation appears to be mutual, as a quote shared by Egyptian tennis journalist Reem Abulleil suggests. “Ons Jabeur is one of my favorite players,” said the older Williams sister when her Tunisian colleague won the first tournament: “She tore down walls. You will see that she inspires a whole generation of women in North Africa to play tennis.”
And what motivates Tunisia, the Arab world and Africa may also have inspired Serena Williams.
