Ons Jabeur interview: 'I feel pretty confident that one day I can win a grand slam'

For the past week, you could not wipe the smile off Ons Jabeur's face.

Tunisia's soon-to-be world No 2 was swamped by cameras and enthusiastic fans as security tracked her every move at Eastbourne's Devonshire Park. This was largely because she was flanked by her slightly more famous doubles partner, 23-time major champion Serena Williams. Not that Jabeur minded. Caught up in the Serena Circus, she looked practically giddy.

But she is seeking a change of pace at Wimbledon. Away from the glare of the spotlight on the court, you can find her at a park nearby the All England Club, sat under a tree observing her daily meditation. "I love nature, I love meditating there," she says. "That’s why I like to go to parks and enjoy the trees, breath in the fresh air. It’s relaxing, kind of calming and helps me. The grass courts [at Wimbledon] are nature, so that helps me connect more and get my energy from that."

This past week has been the most high profile of Jabeur's career, but she was already a trailblazer in her own right. She is the first Arab tennis player, male or female, to reach the top 10, first Arab player to win a WTA tour title and to advance to a major quarterfinal. Most recently, she became the first African player to win a prestigious WTA 1000 event in Madrid. But for all of those firsts, Jabeur says her career is rooted in making sure she is not the last.

"There's a lot of great players in my country, in the Middle East, in Africa," she says. "They have potential. It’s just they need belief and to really think they can make it. So trying to give that example, send that message, is a great honour for me. Young girls always message me on social media and say they want to be like me, and I say I wish for them to be even better than me. I want to see them rise also, and want to share my experience with them."

Jabeur is enjoying the best first-half to a season of her career. Ranked second only to the indomitable Iga Swiatek, she has won two titles - the Madrid Open on clay and bettOpen in Berlin on grass - and has a 30-9 win-loss record for the year. She has jumped from 10th in the world at the end of last year to now being one of the favourites going into Wimbledon on Monday.

At 27, she is somewhat of a late bloomer in tennis terms - especially compared to the rise of teen talents in the last couple of seasons. But that suits her just fine. As her CV of history-making proves, Jabeur is not interested in following a path but rather in mapping one out for herself.

Unlike other top players, who swerve hot topics in tennis, Jabeur is not afraid to speak her mind either. Ahead of winning the biggest title of her career in Madrid, Jabeur and fellow finalist Jessica Pegula were delayed by more than an hour due to the men's semi-final overrunning on the main court. She says it hampered her preparations, and showed how the women's tour needs to be "respected more".

On prize money, she also has strong opinions. While it has been equal at all the majors since 2007, a Financial Times report this week found that outside of the Slams so far this year, men’s total prize money has been 75 per cent higher than the women’s - the widest gap in 21 years. Jabeur is unequivocal: it needs to change. "I think it should be equal. Women, we suffer even more. It's not the same for men. Some women want to have children on tour but can’t do it because they’d have to stop. Sometimes even you have your period and it makes it difficult. So there are a lot of things women go through. Women give it all, and I hope who ever is judging the prize money thing would look more into details."

On the court, she also veers away from convention. She favours flair and precision over baseline power, and her deft drop shot is the crown jewel in her game. Now she is finally reaching the top echelons of tennis, only one goal remains. "I feel pretty confident that one day I can win a grand slam," she says of what comes next.

Her upward trajectory took a hit in Paris last month, when she lost in the first round of the French Open after an ideal build up. But her response, by winning in Berlin a couple of weeks later, shows she is not scarred by the experience. Though she pulled out of Eastbourne doubles citing a knee injury, the hope is that was merely precautionary ahead of Wimbledon where she is looking to improve on her quarter-final finish last year.

"At the start of the year I set my goals really high," she says. "Obviously not everything happened as planned French Open, but I’m learning how to handle much more the pressure. Even now playing and being around Serena [this week], helped me control my emotions and just be me on the court. Now [at Wimbledon] I’m not going to put a lot of pressure on myself like I did at the French Open.”