Ons Jabeur, the top-ranked female tennis player in Africa, wants to end Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka’s reign of terror this year.
The Tunisian hopes to get back at her best in the coming weeks as the clay court season draws near. The 2023 season hasn’t started off well for her following a stellar 2022 campaign.
At European events on clay courts, Jabeur is one of the players who defend the most goals. She won the Madrid Open and advanced to the finals of the Charleston Open and Rome Open last year.
She could perhaps fall farther in the rankings if she is unable to support those points.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist is aware of this, and she thinks she may surprise the field with top women’s players like Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka, and Rybakina in peak condition.
“Elena won Wimbledon last year. Aryna struggled a bit last year but she regained her confidence.”
“I have a completely different game from them, so maybe it’s time that I make trouble for them a little bit.”
After undergoing surgery during the Australian Open, Jabeur hasn’t been at her best. She was eliminated in the first round of the Miami Open, which is still going on, and she lost in Indian Wells’ second round.