Ons Jabeur trekked to Centre Court the other day with a win on her mind. She was armed with supreme confidence, and not just because she knew herself to be better than Marketa Vondrousova with the Wimbledon ladies’ singles title on the line. True, her opponent had gone beyond the first round only once in four previous appearances at the sport’s premier stop, with a 2-10 overall record on grass that underscored an inherent dislike for the surface. Beyond that, however, she bore the strengthening scars of three previous defeats in Grand Slam finals, and she saw an opportunity to write a postscript to the one that stung last year.
As things turned out, Jabeur had her chances — and ultimately failed to capitalize on them. For some reason, she choked up under the klieg lights. To argue that it was a shocking development would be to understate the starkness of its contrast from expectation. Conventional wisdom had her dominating Vondrousova from the get-go. And if she found adversity, well, she showed throughout the fortnight that she possessed the talent and resolve to could overcome it en route to triumph. Unfortunately, she failed to live up to prognoses. A combination of nerves and lack of focus led to what she would later on describe as the “most painful loss” of her career.
The good news is that Jabeur knows she gets to fight another day. In the post-match interview she had to endure before 15,000 fans on Centre Court, she promised to be back to carve a different ending. In acknowledging the overwhelming support she received on the way to her bridesmaid finish, she noted that she would learn from her latest setback and earn it the next time around. And, yes, she would do well to likewise be buoyed by Vondrousova’s successful campaign. The latter hoisting the Venus Rosewater Dish when the battlesmoke cleared was as definitive an example as any that champions are not born, but made.
For all the disappointment, Jabeur was gracious in defeat. She joked that her pictures would not be flattering, what with her eyes puffed up from all the tears she shed. Moving forward, though, there’s no doubt that she will be using the snapshots as motivation to put in the work required to contend anew. She’s simply too good to be overcome by the agony of defeat. At some point, she will be experiencing the thrill of victory as well. When is entirely up to her.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
