LONDON – As Anas Jaber sat sadly on her courtside seat staring at the grass, it was easy to guess the agonizing thoughts running through her head following all she had done at Wimbledon. This was not the end I expected following a great run in the Grand Championship.
Ahead of Saturday’s final once morest Russian-born Kazakh player Elena Rybakina, the talented Tunisian fancied herself taking the “win word and the cup in her hand” and seeing her name on the honor board at the entrance to the main court.
But Rybakina eventually stole the spotlight, becoming the first Kazakh player to win a singles title at a major tournament.
“Elena stole my title,” Anas joked to the fans following losing 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
With the final being held on the day Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, the 27-year-old was hoping to make it an even more joyful occasion by becoming the first African and Arab to win a major tournament title.
And Anas was so focused on winning that she removed a beloved picture of her heart from her mobile phone and replaced it with a picture of the championship shield.
After she failed to cross the finish line, the Tunisian player said, “I really wanted to win this title. Perhaps because I wanted it so much, I might not win it.”
Showing everyone’s mobile phone, she added, “I’ve done everything since the beginning of the year to focus on this tournament. I put the picture of the first prize in the tournament on my phone.”
“But unfortunately it did not come to pass.”
The fans of the main stadium, which can accommodate regarding 15,000 spectators, did their best to cheer Ons when they saw that the match was moving away from the world number two.
The shouts of “Yalla, Anas” rose and following Rybakina advanced 2-0 in the last set, the roar was deafening before each serve for the Tunisian player.
There were moments when the fans greeted Rybakina’s mistakes with cheers and cheers, but nothing succeeded in stopping the Kazakh player’s march to victory.
“I was expecting to take advantage of my chances in front of her,” Anas said. “But it’s frustrating to face a player who serves so massively and doesn’t give you any chance.
“I tried to do everything I might. I tried to cheer myself up and tell her it’s not over yet. I trust in my abilities.
“I even told myself I love you during the match. I mightn’t do more.”
But despite failing to achieve her ultimate goal, the leading Tunisian player knows that she has brought so much joy and happiness to millions of people around the world and is confident that it is only a matter of time before she joins the winners of major tournaments.
Ons, who is expected to receive a hero’s welcome upon her return to Tunisia, said, “I never disbelieve in my abilities and know that I will return to win the four major tournaments. I will definitely learn from this experience and come out of it with many positives.”
“It’s just the beginning of great things for me…I’m trying to inspire future generations in my country. I hope they’ll listen.”