Ons Jabeur specifically named Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff as the matchups she doesn’t like at all but also mentioned Aryna Sabalenka as one player she finds as tough to play again.
Although the Tunisian has made some pretty strong results over the last couple of years and she is a three-time Grand Slam finalist and has been ranked as high as No. 2, she hasn’t had much success against the Pole or the American.
Versus Swiatek, the 30-year-old played seven times and registered only two wins – she won their 2021 meetings at Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
Since then, Jabeur has lost four consecutive times against the Polish tennis star, including that painful 2022 US Open final defeat.
Ons Jabeur and Iga Swiatek© YouTube screenshot
Against Gauff, it isn’t much different since the American has won six of their eight clashes, with the Tunisian’s last win coming in their 2022 Berlin meeting.
Jabeur asked to name ‘the most intimidating player’
“There are a lot. I think Iga is a pretty solid player. She does not give you any free points, which is kind of difficult to play against,” the former world No. 2 explained on the Nothing Major Podcast, which is hosted by John Isner, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson.
“Coco is really amazing too, she plays unbelievable tennis. There are a lot of solid players where you have to be, if not 100%, very close to it to play on that day.”
Although Jabeur managed to upset Sabalenka in the 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinal and also win their 2020 French Open match, those were still her only wins in their six meetings.
“I used to hate playing against Aryna, because the way she hits the ball, I basically could not see it, and I get frustrated by the speed of the ball,” the three-time Grand Slam runner-up said.
“But people would tell you: ‘Oh, you have the touch.’ I think speed definitely beats the touch because, if I cannot find it, I cannot do it, so one of the players I didn’t like to play is Aryna.”
So far this season, Jabeur hasn’t played against either of the three mentioned players.
Tennis World USA