Former world number one Andy Roddick has revealed that he is a fan of Ons Jabeur and has given his prediction that he believes the Tunisian will become a Grand Slam champion.
Jabeur, 28, made tennis history by becoming the first Arab to reach a Grand Slam final and break into the top 10. In Tunisia, Jabeur is referred to as “Wazeerat Al Sa’ada” – translated into French , it means “minister of happiness”
One of the reasons Roddick is a Jabeur fan is his friendly personality. “Her playing attracts, the emotion she plays with; I think a lot of that is also because of the variety she plays with.
As a fan, I think it’s both stressful and amazing not knowing what’s going to happen when she plays,” Roddick told Eurosport. “But I think what makes me a fan, it’s that I hear behind the scenes what the others are saying about her.
And I know it’s true because it’s recurrent, everyone speaks well of her”
Roddick on Jabeur: There’s no reason why she shouldn’t win a Slam
Jabeur reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, before losing to Elena Rybakina.
Today, Jabeur reached her first US Open semi-final after beating Ajla Tomljanovic and her first final in New York after beating Carolina Garcia. “She’s a more complete player.
I could play on two surfaces, but not all. It allows her to have four chances a year, whereas I had one in Australia, but certainly not in Paris”, explains Roddick. “Her game seems to adapt and she seems to have the tennis intelligence to evolve.
The Open draw just means our next champions haven’t won yet, that’s all that is. It also means that familiar faces are getting old, not present, injured or we are in a period of transition.
There’s no reason why she can’t win a Grand Slam. You could say she’s probably better than others who’ve won so she’ll get there.” Jabeur takes on Iga Swiatek for the title at Flushing Meadows.
