Ons Jabeur became the first Arab women to win a WTA-level title after her triumph in Birmingham.
The Tunisian player played in her 3rd career final and she was finally able to win her first title by defeating Daria Kasatkina in the final. By doing so she became the first Arab women to win a WTA-level title. After the match she said:
"I knew I had to go for it, I had to win this title to at least breathe, and give an example. There’s not a lot of Tunisian or Arabic players playing, so I hope this could inspire them, and I want to see more Arabic [players] and Tunisians playing with me on tour."
Triumphs like this will certainly inspire more players from a similar background to pick up a racquet which would be a dream come true for Jabeur.
Ons also touched upon one of her previous finals which came in Moscow against the same opponent. She said:
"Last time we played was in Moscow, she won, and I was crying, it was a great battle. I told her, 'Can you please share some titles with me, at least, let me win my first WTA?'"
Jabeur also spoke about what kept her going after initially losing her serve early:
"You know Dasha, you have to win every point you have. I knew it was going to be difficult, but then when I lost my serve again, I just thought I’d continue focusing on breaking her again, just playing my game."
Ons Jabeur: History Maker The Tunisian trailblazer is the 1st Arab woman to: - Win a junior Slam (2011 RG) - Make a Slam 3R (2017 RG) - Make a Slam QF (2020 AO) - Win a WTA singles title (2021 Birmingham) - Rank inside the Top 70 - Currently highest-ranked ever at No.24.
