Ons Jabeur downs Bencic to win WTA Charleston tennis crown
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia serves to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on Sunday.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
LOS ANGELES – Ons Jabeur has set her sights on capturing a first Grand Slam title after the world No. 4 beat Belinda Bencic 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 at the Charleston Open on Sunday to win her first trophy of the season.
The Tunisian star came up short in two Slam finals in 2022, losing to Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon and Iga Swiatek at the US Open, but she is rediscovering her best form again after undergoing minor knee surgery in February.
Victory against holder Bencic was Jabeur’s 38th on clay since the start of the 2020 season – the most by any women’s player in that period – and makes the 28-year-old a strong contender for the French Open starting in May.
“I’m glad that I’m finding my rhythm and I hope my body will allow me to play,” Jabeur told Tennis Channel, looking ahead to the European clay-court swing.
“I’m excited to go to Stuttgart, Madrid, Rome. Clay is really amazing and I love it.
“I’m working on a lot of things and it’s going my way. So for me it’s step by step, and I’m going for the Grand Slam this year.”
Jabeur, who missed tournaments in Doha and Dubai earlier in 2023 and made early exits in Indian Wells and Miami, said self-belief had helped her rise to the challenge of facing Olympic champion Bencic.
“If you want to do something, believe in it and only you can really manifest it,” she added.
“I was doing that, imagining myself holding the trophy. I was imagining myself in the photo shoot after, putting the image that I won that title already, and it happened.
“I’ll manifest the big trophy sets, the Wimbledon one and other Grand Slams that I want to win.”
Bencic, meanwhile, believes that Jabeur has everything it takes to achieve her dream of winning a Slam.
The world No. 11 Swiss said at the trophy ceremony after her loss: “Ons, how you played today was incredible. I figured at the end of the tiebreak, the way you played, maybe it was meant to be for you this year.
“You deserve it. I’m very glad you’re back – tennis is amazing with you. It’s a pain playing against you, but for tennis you are great.” REUTERS
