French Open: Ons Jabeur after shock first-round defeat – ‘Maybe it was a good thing to lose’

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur suffered a shock French Open first round exit on Sunday but admitted: “Maybe it was good to lose”.

The sixth-seeded Tunisian lost out to Poland’s 56th-ranked Magda Linette 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.

The 27-year-old was seen as a potential champion in Paris, despite never having previously got past the fourth round.

Jabeur came into the event with a season-leading 17 wins on clay in 2022 and with the prestigious Madrid title under her belt and a runners-up spot in Rome against world number one Iga Swiatek in Rome.

However, she was undone Sunday by 47 unforced errors in the two hour 28-minute match.

“Obviously I was expecting better but we say maybe something happens bad because there is something good happening in the future,” said Jabeur.

“Hopefully the grass season, hopefully Wimbledon, I don’t know, but it’s definitely a great time to reflect and to see what’s going to happen next.”

“So maybe it was a good thing to lose today. I would rather say this and be really tough with myself than waste all the good energy that I got from Madrid and Rome.”

Jabeur said she was not happy to see that she was starting proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier on the opening day of the tournament, the first French Open with full crowds since 2019 after a pandemic-affected two years.

“Well, honestly, I wasn’t happy to play on a Sunday at 11,” she added.

“I’ve got quite a peculiar relationship with this court, I like it and I don’t like it at the same time.”

Linette had lost to Jabeur in the third round in 2021 having stunned an injury-hit top seed Ashleigh Barty in her previous match.

“I just tried to stay focused after the first set and tried to make her uncomfortable. I was happy to fight for every single point,” said Linette who needed treatment on a leg injury after dropping the first set.

“I shifted my attention to play faster and my racquet speed was faster than in the first set.

“I wanted to put her in the situation where she couldn’t move me around as much.”

Linette, a quarter-finalist on clay at Charleston and Strasbourg this year, next faces either 2020 French Open quarter-finalist, and weekend Rabat champion Martina Trevisan of Italy or Britain’s Harriet Dart for a spot in the last 32.