Ons Jabeur wants to repeat Dubai victory over Jessica Pegula in Madrid

WTA Tour

James Richardson
May 6, 2022

Ons Jabeur has suggested she won’t have any surprises for Jessica Pegula when they meet in the Madrid Open final on Saturday.

Jabeur and Pegula are 2-2 in their WTA head to head but the Tunisian won their last meeting in Dubai.

In that hard court meeting, Jabeur’s serve was influential, but she has shown she has much more to her game on clay.

“I watched her yesterday how she was patient with Sara,” Jabeur said in anticipation of the final.

“It’s a tough match. I know she’s playing good today. She’s an aggressive player. I’m going to do what I did in Dubai. Whatever worked for me in Dubai is probably going to work here in the final.”

Jabeur has played well in Madrid off the back of accurate serving, powerful groundstrokes and her deft dropshot.

She has made no secret of how she intends to play against Pegula.

“I keep pushing myself to do better, and the proof is that from Charleston I worked really hard to be in the finals here. I’m going to leave my heart on the court on Saturday.

“I want to win this final,” Jabeur said. “I’m going to put my heart, my favorite drop shot, my forehand in.”

Pegula, meanwhile will fight for every point on the Jabeur serve.

“Especially on the clay,” Pegula said after her semifinal win over Jill Teichmann, “I don’t think the serve is as big a weapon. On return games, I’m in every one.”

Neither Pegula nor Jabeur have played a WTA 1000 final before and the American expects that there will be nerves at either end of the court.

“We’re both, I think, going to be nervous,” Pegula said. “We’re both going to want to win. We’re going to go out there and compete and have a great match, I hope.”

Pegula and Jabeur were both ranked outside the top 75 players in the world heading into the 2020 season and the former believes their final meeting shows other players the value of hard work.

“For me and Ons, it’s pretty crazy,” Pegula said.

“It shows you what hard work and determination, playing week in and week out and just trying to get better, you can get to the top, as long as you believe it.”

Ons Jabeur