Another exciting year of tennis is well underway, as the illustrious Australian Open has recently ended. It is the first of the four prestigious Grand Slams on the calendar, as the top players look to immortalize themselves in tennis history.
It will be a busy year for the best players in the world, as they compete in ATP and WTA finals in between the Grand Slams, with the season-ending finals at the end of 2023 likely to be the point where the top players in the world are crowned. Once again, the Arab world will be looking for more success in the world of tennis will the hugely popular and trailblazing Ons Jabeur.
Jabeur Targeting Maiden Grand Slam
The betting odds as www.arabic-casinos.org will show just how close Jabeur is edging towards a history first Grand Slam success. Once again, the Tunisian star was among the favorites to capture glory at the Australian Open, but she couldn’t have gone much closer to landing a historic title throughout 2022, losing two Grand Slam finals.
At Wimbledon, she made history by becoming the first Arab or North African player to reach the final four at the prestigious event. A first Grand Slam final was achieved following a dominant showing against Tatjana Maria. Therefore, she became the first Arab, African woman, and North African player to ever reach a Grand Slam final in the Open Era. However, her dreams at SW19 weren’t to be achieved, as she was beaten in a thrilling three-set final by Elena Rybakina.
Such is tennis, there’s always a second opportunity around the corner if you’re good enough. Jabeur showed all her mental resilience to bounce back from that heartbreaking defeat, as she progressed excellently through to the final. That saw her become the first Arab player to ever reach the final at the U.S. Open. However, once again, she would come up short, as she was beaten in straight sets by top-ranked Polish star Iga Swiatek.
Goal To Be Number One
Jabuer’s aim, like many top stars in the world of tennis, will be to be ranked as the top player in the world. That goal doesn’t seem as impossible as it would have done five years ago, as she is now ranked second in the world, behind Swiatek.
She achieved that rank following the WTA Finals at Fort Worth, as she couldn’t make it any further than the round-robin stage. Despite beating Jessica Pegula in straight sets, she then lost consecutive showdowns against Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkar
There is little doubt that this coming year promises to be one of the biggest of Jabuer’s career, as she is likely to never have a better opportunity to land that elusive Grand Slam, which could also lead to her being the top-ranked female player on the tour.
Australian Open Contender?
The Australian Open kickstarts the Grand Slam season in tennis, and Jabeur made no secret of her bid to win a major event before the tournament got underway. However, she went into the tournament with a point to prove, as she could only reach the semi-finals of the Adelaide International, despite being the top seed.
But, she put that disappointment behind her with an excellent fighting display in the first round at Rod Laver Arena, as she managed to come through a tricky test against Tamara Zidansek in three sets. A second-round showdown with Marketa Vondrousova now awaits, but her challenge is made slightly easier as she is in the favorable bottom half Down Under. That means that she isn’t likely to come up against a top-ten player until a potential meeting with Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
Jabeur will at least be hoping for a better showing this year, as she could only reach the third round in 2021. Her previous best showing came in 2020, as she reached the quarterfinals. However, her win rate at the Australian Open only stands at 55%, which is the lowest of any of her records in the other Grand Slams.
Will Jabeur Finally Land A Grand Slam?
It’s likely that the conditions at the Australian Open will not maximize her chances of breaking her Grand Slam duck. However, we truly believe that it is a matter of time before the Tunisian finally lands that elusive honor.
Her record at Wimbledon in recent seasons has been sensational, as she has reached the final four in each of the previous two years. Therefore, we could see Jabeur’s first major success coming in London later this year.
