NEW YORK: Ons Jabeur sported a statement tee following her US Open semifinal win. The message ‘face your fears’ resonated beyond the boundaries of sport, while stoking a story she was itching to tell. The 28-year-old has won all her last-four matches this season, six in all, including Thursday’s outing in New York. The finals have given her two titles — in Madrid, where she claimed her first WTA 1000 crown, and Berlin. She came up short at Wimbledon, in her first Grand Slam final, and will look to change that record against the world No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Saturday.
Jabeur, the world No. 5, has learnt to tackle semifinal rounds — as she demonstrated in ending Caroline Garcia’s 13-match winning streak for the loss of just four games at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, but playing finals is a different ballgame, it asks for more. Reserves and range. Face your fears.
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