"I'm going to build the fight": Ons Jabeur navigating role as Wimbledon title favorite

ZipRecruiter Resume: Jabeur

A wide-open field has left Ons Jabeur holding pole position at Wimbledon, though that's not as easy as it sounds.

The 27-year-old from Tunisia is ranked No. 2 and one of just two Top 16 seeds still in the tournament as the quarterfinals begin. She's also in good form, having won the grass event in Berlin coming into SW19.

But while that makes her a heavy favorite in her half of the draw, she's still getting used to the pressure that comes with it.

“Not easy to play anyone on grass. Especially with my position, everybody wants to grab the win,” Jabeur said. “I’m just very positive about what I want to do. I have my goals very high for this tournament, so I'm going to keep doing that. No matter who's coming, I'm going to build the fight, because I really want the title.”

She's looking to learn from her experience at Roland Garros, where she was also considered a contender following her title win in Madrid but fell in the first round. Now, she's taking a different approach.

“I think I'm giving myself more time to prepare the match. I'm expressing much better for my stress, for everything that happens around the match,” Jabeur said. “Sometimes I can see myself very frustrated and lose focus to kind of do good, do better. I've done that in a lot of matches. The stress really could get you.

"I'm preparing much better my matches. I am breathing better. I'm expressing more my feelings before the matches. That helps me really play the game that I want to play.”

On Tuesday, the No. 3 seed later turned the tide to defeat Marie Bouzkova, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, for a spot in her first major semifinal. There, Jabeur will meet unseeded Tatjana Maria.