One of the most critical days in Ons Jabeur’s two-week magical run at Wimbledon began with a few awkward moments on Saturday morning when she arrived at the center court with her team for some practice. She was, to the horror of those in charge, wearing black shorts and tees. One can only suppose that Ons got up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning because she forgot one of the cardinal requirements at Wimbledon – to wear white at all times on the court, even if it is a practice session. Within minutes of stroking a few balls, an elderly official sprinted as fast as she could to the middle of the court, and politely requested Ons to return to the locker room and change into appropriate attire. The day did not begin well for Ons Jabeur. In a tournament where customs, rituals, and traditions date back more than a century, the omens weren’t right for Ons. How could she have forgotten to wear white? Freud would have argued that it says something about her mental state, a subconscious slip that perhaps indicates nerves and a delicate state of mind.
The Wimbledon championship is unforgiving when it comes to following traditions, One may be a champion or an unseeded player, but the rules, the decorum, and the etiquette remain the same for everyone and are expected to be scrupulously followed. There is an air of grandiosity, an atmosphere of a venerated temple about those green lawns that sets it apart from other venues across the world. The Australian Open is laid back and sets the tone for the year, the French clinical, hot, and a test of one’s endurance; the American is boisterous, noisy, and flamboyant; but Wimbledon is formal, serene, graceful, and artistic, and that is one of the reasons that of the four grand slams, winning Wimbledon is special. It is the dream of every tennis player who ever picks a racquet to play the game at the professional level to play once, at least, at Wimbledon. To win the Wimbledon title is beyond just a dream, it is the nirvana of tennis. To get your name on that intricately embroidered and embellished golden plate, that has passed through the hands of so many greats of the game, and to have the name etched on the honor board inside the inner sanctorum of the All England lawn tennis and croquet club is enough glory, fulfillment, and honor to last a lifetime. Once a Wimbledon champion, you can go without winning another major title for the rest of your career, it won’t matter; he or she will forever be regarded as a former Wimbledon champion, and that honor, that title alone overshadows everything else one might or might not have achieved in the sport.
Grand slams are not about how good a player is, but really about how well they can navigate, nourish, and control the emotional, psychological, and physical battles for grueling two weeks to reach the final, and having reached the final, to be able to produce the best tennis on that day to win the trophy. To get to the finals, a player has to play six matches against the best in the world. And each match can take its toll on the body, mind, and spirit. The draw makes a world of difference, and it did today for Ons Jabeur today against Marketa Vondrousova, the unseeded girl from Czechoslovakia. In her run to the final, Ons had to play against Petra Kvitova, Rybakina, and then Sabalenka in the Semi-final – all three in the top ten rankings and hard-hitting women who can take the steam out of their opponents by the sheer power of their returns, serves and ground strokes. Jabeur played them beautifully and skillfully, but, in the process, had to stretch herself, bring out every ounce of genius and strategy she had to get past them. On the other hand, Vondrousova had a relatively easier to the final. As an unseeded player, who had to battle through wrist injuries earlier this year, her chance of even playing at Wimbledon was low, and the fact she did and could play her game, put considerably less pressure on her. Vondrousova had to face only Pagula, seeded fifth in the quarter-finals, a game Vondrousova won in three sets. Going into the finals, Vondrousova was in better shape mentally and physically than Ons was. Ons knew the feeling of playing in a grand slam final, she has been there three times before. But this advantage can work both ways. The familiarity with the center court and big occasions can either boost confidence and help in breaking the jinx of never having won a grand slam yet, or can just end up adding more pressure and paralyzing one’s natural game – already stretched, tired, and burdened by the tough journey to the final. For Vondrousova, however, she had to play her natural, controlled game and not worry about winning or losing.
6-4, 6-4 is the final scoreline, and Vondrousova is the new Wimbledon champion. Ons, once again was not able to muster the strength or dip into her reserves to finish a grand slam final in style. Vondrousova played efficiently enough to emerge a clear winner. She didn’t have to do anything different from what she normally does. She played her natural game, with few errors and even fewer unforced errors. As a left-hander, she used the natural swing and swerve of her serves to good advantage. Her anticipation, footwork, and racquet preparation were remarkable, Ons couldn’t pull off those deft drop shots that she uses so well against others. A younger, fitter, and athletic Vondrousova was able to get to them without a problem. Unlike many of the top seeds on the tour who often mask their emotions, Ons’s face is an expressive one. You can tell by looking at her if she is confident of winning. At the end of the first set, what we saw was a dejected and drooping face. Defeat was written all over it.
Of all the current players on the professional circuit, I believe that Ons has a natural flair for grass court tennis, and there is grace and skill in the way she uses the court, its speed, slipperiness, and uneven bounces. She has a real feel for this surface. What she needs now is one big win to convince herself that she can win the big matches when it matters, and the ability to remain consistent across the tournament. Djokovic ( who will be on the court tomorrow playing against the young Spaniard Alcaraz) once said during an interview that “The winner is the one who believes in victory more.” True! Ons Jabeur has to win so she can believe in doing it more times. Right now, she does everything right, except on the day when it matters. Runner-up twice at Wimbledon is a great achievement in itself, but I am sure for a player of her stature, she would consider this loss another opportunity lost. I am confident, sometime in the next few years, we will get to see Ons shed copious tears of joy on the center court with the winner’s trophy held high in her hands, and perhaps, even see her lean on the duchess shoulders to steady herself from overpowering happiness. Quite possible! She is that kind of person. Ons has the game, a great crowd following, and the passion to do well.
For Marketa Vondrousova, the next few weeks will be surreal. Her wedding anniversary falls tomorrow, July 16th, and that will be the icing on the cake. The Czech flag will fly high for some time. From this small country, over the decades, so many champions have emerged, including the greatest of them all – Martina Navratilova. Vondrousova has the talent to play the game for a long time, but it depends on her fitness and willingness to do what it takes to remain a champion. In the last few years, we have seen a lot of one-time champions, who have proved to be nothing but a flash in the pan, with neither the commitment nor the drive to live up to their talent. We hope Vondrousova won’t join that list.
The Men’s final tomorrow could be interesting. The champion against a young man, who may well be the future champion of Men’s tennis in the lineage of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic himself. It could be anyone’s game tomorrow, but the favorite has to be Djokovic.
Good write up about the outcome of women’s tennis. You can now edit and add a few more paras about the men’s finals too.