For all her talent, the Tunisian could not shake off the jitters and her rival capitalised to seal a deserved Wimbledon triumph
Sport can be horribly cruel. On the biggest occasions, it is a matter of nerve. And when nerves fail, as they did most spectacularly for Ons Jabeur on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Saturday, it can be excruciating.
As Marketa Vondrousova accepted the trophy after collecting her first grand slam title, becoming the first woman to win unseeded, emulating Boris Becker in the 1985 men’s singles, she took in the applause, led by the watching Martina Navratilova, the greatest Czech-born player, and Jan Kodes, the men’s champion here 50 years ago. This was her moment. Jabeur had expected it to be hers.