ZipRecruiter Player Resume: Ons Jabeur is a star on all surfaces

"You have to consider her a favorite to win this title," Chris Evert said on ESPN moments after Ons Jabeur advanced to the third round of Wimbledon on Friday.

Considering the commentator and the tournament, this was high praise. But lately, the phrase would fit the bill for Jabeur no matter where or when she competes.

That's how good Jabeur has been on all surfaces in 2022, a year that has seen her become the highest-ranked African and Arab tennis player in history (on either tour).

• She's 33-9 this season, with title runs on grass (8-0 overall record on the surface) and clay (17-4).
• For her career, she's won three titles and finished runner-up five times—once on outdoor hard courts, and once indoors on the fast surface.
• In 2021, along with Anett Kontaveit, Jabeur led the WTA in match wins with 48, a reflection of her consistency across all surfaces from beginning to end.

But if you think Jabeur is satisfied with consistency, think again.

"You're tied with Iga [Swiatek] for most quarterfinals made this year," a journalist asked Jabeur at the Mutua Madrid Open in May.

"Wow," replied Jabeur.

"But you also said you were sick of making quarterfinals," the journalist replied.

"Yeah," said Jabeur.

Jabeur has as good a chance as any to go beyond the quarterfinals—at Wimbledon—for the first time. Seeded third, she's away from Swiatek and some other dangerous competitors in the stacked top half of the draw. She's also the only Top 15 player left in her half.

Still, her fourth-round opponent, Elise Mertens, will be a formidable challenge. Mertens rallied from a break-of-serve deficit to defeat former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 7-5.

"I like to see the perfect tennis, no mistakes or anything," Jabeur said after her 6-2, 6-3 third-round win over Diane Parry. "But I am playing the tennis that I love to see. Obviously there's few things to improve. I want to be challenged for the next round, for sure, and see how I handle that pressure."

Jabeur hasn't dropped a set so far at the All England Club; she hasn't even been taken past 6-4. But Jabeur feels her best is yet to come.

"For me, sometimes I start playing not so good. I feel like at the end of the tournament I start playing better and better," she said. "When I get more matches and I get used to the courts, to the environment here, I think I start to play better.

"But, no, I still want a little bit more."