Ons Jabeur has booked a spot in the Wimbledon final for the second time in a row. The Tunisian showed Aryna Sabalenka the exit door as she came back from being set down. Sabalenka could not overcome Jabeur with her power-hitting, ultimately bowing down to finesse.
Ons Jabeur is the crowd’s darling and is loved by her peers too. In fact, the player is known as the ‘Minister of Happiness’ in her home country of Tunisia. As magical as she is on the court, she’s charming and funny off of it too. It is one of the qualities that has endeared her to tennis fans.
Her wit isn’t just limited to interactions in real life though. She shows her funny side on social media too from time to time. After Anett Kontaveit took the last spot at the year-end WTA finals, she tweeted what was on her mind.
Huge Congrats Anett you really deserve this spot 👏👏❤️ And the dress as well 😅
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) October 31, 2021
Meanwhile in my head 🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/lWNFSRMCmX
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) October 31, 2021
Ons is also loved by her fellow tennis players. Bianca Andreescu, her third-round opponent showed her support by saying she wanted Jabeur to do well in the tournament. As a second-time Wimbledon finalist, Jabeur would want that too.
What makes Ons Jabeur the ‘Minister of Happiness’?
As Ons Jabeur looks to change last year’s result, in her favour this time, she has the crowd’s full support. She is the first Arab player, man, or woman to break into the top 10 in tennis. The charming player has been a trailblazer for Arab and African players.
Her joy is infectious and during tense moments, she brings a sort of levity to the game. Heading a tennis ball away on her way back to the baseline, or kicking up the ball with her feet, like it is a football, are not uncommon sights if you tune into her game. It is especially delightful if you watch it live.
Ons Jabeur had mentioned how she was working on her footwork, trying to emulate Ronaldo. In the post-match interview, she spoke of meeting with David Beckham, one of the best-known soccer players worldwide.
“I’m glad my husband let me give him a hug” 😅
From David Beckham to skiing, there is never a dull moment when @Ons_Jabeur is behind the mic 🤣#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/OXzoKum7OF
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2023
One of her fans gave an insight into this charismatic player’s life and why the title, ‘Minister of Happiness’ has a deeper meaning. “She means the world, believe me. We call her the ‘Minister of Happiness’ because she’s making everyone happy.”
“This is the best tournament in the world, and she’s putting Tunisia on the map. Now she has fans from all over the world, not just Tunisia and the Arab world.” said the fan.
Another fan added, “When I met her the first time, I took a walk with her before she became famous. She said, ‘I have a dream to win Wimbledon one day.’ I didn’t say anything. I just said, ‘I’ll pray for you.’ And look at her, all these years later she’s doing it.” (via WTA).
Jabeur is certainly one of the most entertaining players around. As she takes on Marketa Vondrousova in the final, her fans chanting “Yalla” (Arabic for ‘Come on”) will be a sight to behold.
