Ons Jabeur demolishes Caroline Garcia in straight sets to advance to the US Open final and her second Grand Slam showpiece in a row
- Ons Jabeur defeated Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-3 in the US Open semifinals
- This is her second straight Grand Slam final, after making Wimbledon showpiece
- Jabeur is known as Tunisia’s ‘Minister of Happiness’ and she shouted with joy
- She will face world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s Arthur Ashe showdown
Ons Jabeur executed a stunning 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Caroline Garcia in the U.S. Open semi-finals on Thursday, ending the Frenchwoman’s hot streak to reach her second Grand Slam final in a row.
Jabeur wrested the momentum immediately, breaking Garcia in the first game before taking the first set in a blistering 23 minutes, with six aces and 11 winners, and will next face either top seed Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka.
Garcia upped her level in the second set but was without the most reliable tool in her arsenal – her big serve – and struggled on the return, failing to set up a single break point opportunity.
Ons Jabeur celebrates her victory over Caroline Garcia in the semi-finals of the women’s singles at the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Jabeur of Tunisia hits signed balls into the crowd to celebrate her victory over France’s Garcia
Jabeur, who became the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon this year and is known as Tunisia’s ‘Minister of Happiness’, shouted with joy after she sent an unreturnable serve over the net for the win.
‘In the second set I was trying, she was playing much better but I’m really glad she didn’t break me at the end because it was going to be tough,’ she said after the match.
Jabeur had a rocky run-up to the year’s final major, exiting early from San Jose and retiring in her Toronto opener with abdominal pain, but was all smiles on Arthur Ashe, where she has emerged as a crowd favourite.
‘It feels amazing. After Wimbledon there was a lot of pressure on me and I’m really relieved that I can back up my results,’ said Jabeur, the first North African woman to reach the final in New York.
‘The hard court season started a little bit bad but now I’m very happy that I made it to the finals here.’
Jabeur smiles at her team during an on-court interview after her victory over Garcia
Garcia reacts during her match with Jabeur in the women’s singles semifinals at the US Open
