loses the final and bursts into tears – Corriere.it

How much does Africa weigh? Too much to be supported by the tender shoulders of Ons Jabeur28 years old, the Tunisian who seemed destined to bring the continent to the top of Wimbledonthe first Arab and North African woman to succeed in the feat, and instead surrendered to the Czech opponent Marketa Vondrousova in two sets, 6-4, 6-4, demonstrating – in the third Slam final sold – that she did not have the strength to withstand a such an important stage.

a very bad Wimbledon epilogue (we hope to make up for it on Sunday with the challenge for the title between the young man Alcaraz
and the veteran Djokovic), takes place under the closed roof due to the racing wind sweeping London (questionable choice of the organizers: it doesn’t rain, you could play outdoors), totally below expectations: a break festival between two rivals , Jabeur who had eliminated the n.2 Sabalenka and Vondrousova who had broken the fairy tale of the Ukrainian Svitolina, who know each other well and respect each other, blocked by the tension, more mistakes than winning points, with Ons — literally paralyzed: she did not exploit a lead of 4-2 in the first set and 3-1 in the second — which after the Russian disguised as a Kazakh Rybakina last year he gives a page of history to Vondrousovamarried Simkova24 years old, already a finalist in Paris in 2019, the left-handed daughter of the Czech Republic who continues an ancient Eastern European tradition on grass at Wimbledon, makes Martina Navratilova’s eyes shine (9 titles on grass), guest of the Royal Box, and unleashes the tweet of compliments from Petra Kvitova, two triumphs in Church Road, the last of the Czech Republic in 2014.

Jabeur’s tears after the final loss at Wimbledon

Ons’ tears, unable to handle the emotion, stubborn in carrying out a suicidal tactic, rookie blunderer on a course that deserved a better show, they bathe Saturday in the village but spare the indefinable colored jacket of Princess Kate, patroness of the All England Club, who took to the field to reward Vondrousova with the terrible tattoos covered by her tracksuit jacket, almost embarrassed herself to have won the most important title in tennis a year after touring London with her wrist bandaged for surgery, she became the first unseeded tennis player to sign for the Championships.
Full of grace and good words, Kate takes the time to console the inconsolable Ons, weeping in the center (like poor Jana Novotna on the Duchess of York’s shoulder back in 1993, when she was defeated by Steffi Graf), she who in addition to the final of Wimbledon 2022 he had lost that of the US Open, at least with the world number one Iga Swiatek, and whose appointment with history was postponed to a later date.

My most terrible defeat

He will look terrible in the photos – he tries to joke – this is my most terrible defeat. But I don’t want to give up: I will come back stronger and one day I will conquer Wimbledon. The sports drama of Ons, one of the most loved tennis players (even by her colleagues), in a total crisis of confidence, supported by the public with great but useless affection, will populate the front pages of the English newspapers on Sundays more than Marketa’s smile with her plate queen in her arms. She didn’t steal anything, the valid Vondrousova, who thanks to the London triumph enters the top 10. To the palpable disappointment of her Majesty’s subjects, a sense of vague injustice hovers over Church Road. There is little to do, the tennis gods have chosen, and there is no appeal. Jabeur (still) too fragile, Tunisia unprepared for the big step, Africa too heavy to be carried on the shoulders by a single woman.