Tunisia, July 14 (BNA): Anas Jaber carried the hopes of her country and continent to the Wimbledon Championships in her quest to become the first African and Arab woman to win the Grand Slam title.
Tunisian Jabeur reached the final at the All England Club for the second year in a row, beating big winners Bianca Andreescu, Petra Kvitova, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka along the way.
Unseeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova is her opponent on Saturday and the sixth seed hopes to become lucky for the third time after losing the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open last year, when she was dubbed the “Minister of Happiness” in her country.
Jabeur’s achievements have been followed by Tunisians who are usually enthusiastic about football, reports Reuters.
“Tunisia is pleased with her being our hero and minister of happiness. We are proud of her, so I tell her she plays comfortably and avoids pressure,” Tunisian Sports Minister Kamal Dokish told Radio Mosaique.
Jabeur, 28, came from a set and a breakdown to beat Australian Open champion Sabalenka in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Jaber has often spoken of her desire to inspire girls in Arab and African countries, and Amini Benrahouma, 27, said her influence prompted parents to encourage their children to play tennis.
“Onez is a source of pride for every Tunisian woman and she has raised the country’s flag high with her global achievements,” she told Reuters.
Before Jabeur, the Tunisians followed the fortunes of Malek Jaziri, who was ranked 42nd in the world in 2019, but did not make it past the third round of a major tournament.
On paper, Jabeur is the favorite to raise the Venus Rosewater Dish, but she won’t take anything for granted after losing to Vondrousova, the former French Open runner-up, at this year’s Australian Open and Indian Wells.
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