Ons Jabeur hopeful of 'great results' at French Open despite early Italian Open defeat to Paula Badosa

Updated 17/05/2023 at 12:22 GMT

Ons Jabeur started her 2023 clay season by lifting the title in Charleston, but her French Open preparations took a hit as she was beaten in her first match at the Italian Open. Jabeur is still positive about her chances at the second Grand Slam of the year, where she lost in the first round in 2022. But the world No. 7 says she is worried about being "physically 100 percent" for the tournament.

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Ons Jabeur is still hopeful that she can achieve “great results” at the French Open despite mixed preparation on clay this season.

Jabeur looked to be returning to form when she won her opening clay event in Charleston in early April.

But she then retired with injury after three games of her Stuttgart semi-final against Iga Swiatek and missed her title defence in Madrid.

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At the Italian Open she was beaten in her first match by Paula Badosa.

World No. 7 Jabeur is yet to make it past the fourth round at the French Open but is remaining positive as the Grand Slam approaches.

“You just keep going and remember who you are, remember the ranking that you were,” she told the French Open.

“For me, I feel that the game is there, you just need to get back in shape physically and everything, and see what could happen.

“The draw did not help at all in Rome. I wish I had an easier draw, but it is what it is, it’s tennis and maybe it’s time for Paula to get back to where she belongs.

“Maybe it doesn’t matter if you have a lot of matches coming in or the confidence is high. Maybe this year is better that I have no matches under my belt and just trying to get through the journey.

“For me, maybe I have less pressure this Roland-Garros but you know I like pressure, so I’m trying to find the good pressure to keep me alive and play a good game.

“The thing that maybe worries me is that I want to be physically 100 percent; that’s going to help me get more matches and if I can do that, if I can have a good two weeks of practice, I think I will be able to have great results at Roland-Garros.”

Jabeur had a difficult start to the year as she lost in the second round of the Australian Open and then underwent a minor surgery.

She has largely not found the form that saw her get to No. 2 in the world last year and reach two Grand Slam finals, aside from in Charleston, where she didn't drop a set across five matches.

“I think that title meant a lot because we had a great week of training, without any pain, without suffering, and then match by match you gain more confidence,” she said.

“I feel like I was playing correct tennis, I was playing the tennis that I needed to play and everything went my way. I played, I think, the best final of my career. Everything was meant to be there.”

Jabeur had impressive clay results in 2022 as she won Madrid and then made the Italian Open final.

But at the French Open she suffered a shock first-round loss to Magda Linette.

Reflecting on her performance on the surface, she said: “The main key is that you adapt to clay, to grass, to hard courts; it’s very difficult to find a complete player.

“I love clay, I love playing on clay; it’s probably the only surface that I don’t need matches under my belt to play good, and I showed that in Charleston.”

The French Open starts on May 28.

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