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Many tennis fans left bemused after what happened to Ons Jabeur at Wimbledon on day two

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
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Ons Jabeur knows Wimbledon pain more than most, with the Tunisian having lost in the last two finals.

The 29-year-old lost to Elena Rybakina back in 2022, and followed that heartache up with a loss to Marketa Vondrousova in 2023.

She is now back at Wimbledon, and has made a strong start to another title charge on day two in the English capital.

Jabeur has soared into the second round after her first round win against Moyuka Uchijima, with the former coming out on top 6-3, 6-1.

A meeting with Robin Montgomery now awaits in the second round, with the American having beaten Olivia Gadecki in round one.

The Championships - Wimbledon 2023: Day Thirteen
Photo by Paul Popper/Popperfoto via Getty Images

Tennis fans left bemused after Ons Jabeur decision at Wimbledon

Jabeur has certainly made a mark on Wimbledon in her superb career so far, but many eyebrows were raised when organisers decided that her first round match should be played on court 14.

The decision has left many tennis fans bemused, with one user on X writing: “Would love to hear the justification for not playing on court 1 this evening.”

A second user said: “Why didn’t they play it on No.1 Court? It was free. Joke scheduling.”

A third commented: “Wild choice when her originally scheduled court is about to be open or court 1.”

Other bemused fans wrote: “Terrible schedule,” and “Meanwhile court 1 is free.”

Another said: “There has always been too much favouritism at Wimbledon and now with the roofs get too much of an advantage.”

Another comment read: “She will be very emotional about this. I don’t want to see any more ego please make it stop.”

Women’s Wimbledon singles blown wide open

Jabeur has been handed a minor boost at Wimbledon, with her recent nemesis Vondrousova having been knocked out in round one.

The defending champion suffered a shock exit at the hands of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, with the world number 83 picking up her first Grand Slam win.

Moreover, it marks the first time since 1994 that the women’s defending champion has lost in the first round, when Steffi Graf was defeated by Lori McNeil.

2022 champion Rybakina is, however, safely into round two, as are the likes of star players Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.

But another major name in Aryna Sabalenka was forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury, with Gauff wishing the Belarusian well after she made the decision.

Away from the higher profile players in the WTA, there are three dark horses for the women’s singles crown this year.