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Rabat – In the aftermath of a heart-wrenching loss at Wimbledon, Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur found comfort in the unexpected support of Moroccan football coach Walid Regragui, along with other sports figures.
Jabeur had reached her third Grand Slam final but suffered a defeat against Marketa Vondrousova, which she described as the most painful loss of her career.
Amid her emotional turmoil, Jabeur was deeply touched by the message she received from Walid Regragui, the Head Coach of Morocco’s national football team, she revealed during a press conference on Sunday.
Regragui, who had led the Atlas Lions to a surprising World Cup semifinal in 2022, reached out to Jabeur to offer words of encouragement and solidarity.
His unexpected gesture, accompanied by messages from friends, peers, and global sports figures, served as a source of strength for Jabeur as she navigated her post-Wimbledon emotions.
Read also: Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur Becomes First Arab to Reach Wimbledon Finals
Jabeur expressed her appreciation for Regragui’s support, highlighting the significance of his message.
Besides the Moroccan coach, the tennis player was surprised to receive a heartfelt message from American former tennis player Andy Roddick, who shared his own experience of Wimbledon heartbreaks and triumphs.
“I got a lot of amazing messages. Like, Andy was one of the ones I was surprised with … And obviously I was crying, you know, happy crying,” Jabeur said.
In a recent column for Betway, Roddick revealed that he reached out to Jabeur, encouraging her to maintain faith in herself and continue her journey.
“I actually sent her a message after the final and said, ‘Listen, if you ever want to chat, I’ve been where you are right now. But I have more faith in you winning Wimbledon than I ever had in myself winning Wimbledon,’” he indicated.
After taking a well-deserved break to recharge both mentally and emotionally with her family, Jabeur has returned to the court at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati as the No. 5 seed.
