What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but for Ons Jabeur, the mental strain of chasing her first Grand Slam title is real! After a tough third-round exit to No. 8 Emma Navarro at the 2025 Australian Open, it’s clear that the journey has been anything but smooth. Over the past 15 years, Jabeur has come agonizingly close to victory three times—twice at Wimbledon and once at the US Open—only to fall short against fierce competitors like Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. You’d think the third time would be a charm, but Jabeur’s story is still unfolding.

In what she described as her “most difficult defeat,” Jabeur faced a heartbreaking loss to Marketa Vondrousova in the Wimbledon final, falling 6-4, 6-4. She had hoped to make history as the first African or Arab woman to win a Grand Slam singles title but it never came. Reflecting on her mindset during that time in a recent episode of the ‘Nothing Majors’ podcast, Jabeur shared, “The second Wimbledon final I was really tight and I was trying to relax and I couldn’t find a way just play my game and enjoy the game, you know? That was really really tough.”

Host Sam Querrey playfully pointed out that none of his co-hosts—John Isner, Steve Johnson, and Jack Sock—have made it as far in a Grand Slam as Ons Jabeur. He asked her, “Do you think, getting that far, and going down that path, is that more physical or mental at that point trying to win a slam?”

Jabeur responded thoughtfully, saying, “It is both but I would say, better mental. For me, if mentally, I am ready I can push myself physically. But I didn’t really feel tired but mostly mentally, I was a bit tense, stressed a little bit and maybe tired” Last year she revealed that just hours before stepping onto Centre Court, she revealed she suffered a panic attack during the warm-up. She elaborated on the challenges of the tournament: “Two weeks of playing tennis and especially Wimbledon, waiting, rain and all that stuff. It kind of plays with your mind.”

Since then, Jabeur has been on an inspiring quest to clinch her first Grand Slam title, and she’s not losing hope! In her documentary, This Is Me, she passionately declared, “I have to win a Slam, I have no choice. Maybe it’s my life’s mission to do it.” Talk about determination! Former Canadian player Eugenie Bouchard is also in her corner, cheering her on and believing that Jabeur will achieve that dream one day.

Bouchard reveals why One Jabeur can win a Grand Slam

Back in June on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, Eugenie Bouchard shared her thoughts on Ons Jabeur’s immense potential. Recalling their warm-up match in Berlin, she humorously noted, “Look, I practiced with Ons Jabeur last year in Berlin, and I didn’t win a game. I’m not going to tell you what the final score of the practice set was but I did not win one.” Clearly, Jabeur has proven her prowess on grass courts, having won two of her five WTA titles at Berlin in 2022 and Birmingham in 2021. However, despite her impressive track record, the elusive Grand Slam title still remains out of reach.

Bouchard went on to praise Jabeur as a top contender on grass, stating, “She has that variety; she can control the ball and control the points the way she wants to and it’s so fun to watch. And also, by the way, a great girl, a great person.” Despite the unfortunate ending to her recent tournaments, Bouchard emphasized that you can’t count Jabeur out. For Jabeur herself, health is always a priority. She opted out of the Paris Olympics due to a knee injury that posed risks if she played. Her last tournament in 2024 was the US Open, where she faced a first-round exit.

As we step into 2025, Jabeur seems rejuvenated and ready for new challenges! She kicked off her campaign at the Brisbane International, making it to the quarterfinals against Mirra Andreeva. While her runs at the Adelaide International and Australian Open didn’t go as far as hoped, her determination remains strong. Now, she’s gearing up for the Abu Dhabi Open with her first match against Jeļena Ostapenko on Tuesday. Will she overcome her obstacles and finally clinch that title? Only time will tell!