As Ons Jabeur has soared up the rankings, she has garnered the nickname 'Minister of Happiness' in her native Tunisia. This fortnight, the happiness has spread to SW19.
As Jabeur completed her press duties after her semifinal win over Tatjana Maria on the media balcony, fans thronged beneath to celebrate her historic first Grand Slam final.
For Ibtissen, Jabeur had inspired her first taste of live tennis.
"I'm Tunisian, but even though we live here in London, this is the first time I've ever been to Wimbledon," she said. 'I've seen Ons on TV so many times, but this is the first time we've seen her live. We came to celebrate Ons, and show her that we're proud of her. She made our day today. Inshallah, we will also come on Saturday, and inshallah, we hope she'll win Wimbledon!"
Slim, from Hertfordshire, has been a longtime fan -- and clearly remembers Jabeur foreshadowing her success five years ago.
"I've been a fan since the first time she came to Wimbledon [in 2017]," he said. "My wife Melanie, who is English, went and supported her in a very small court. Ons was surprised at this blonde, English lady supporting her.
"When I met her the first time, I took a walk with her before she became famous. She said, 'I have a dream to win Wimbledon one day.' I didn't say anything. I just said, 'I'll pray for you.' And look at her, all these years later she's doing it."
Making Tunisia proud 🇹🇳❤️@Ons_Jabeur | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/COxViOTRCk
— wta (@WTA) July 7, 2022
Slim says that the title 'Minister of Happiness' has a deeper meaning than just a throwaway nickname.
"She means the world, believe me. We call her the Minister of Happiness, because she's making everyone happy. Unfortunately, like in the UK, politicians are making a mess of the country. For the last 10 years, our politicians made a mess. People don't have many things to be happy about.
"We were happy with the football team going through to the World Cup, but it wasn't a big deal. But this is the best tournament in the world, and she's putting Tunisia on the map. Now she has fans from all over the world, not just Tunisia and the Arab world."
For Nicky, who describes herself as Tunisian by association -- "I've been married for 22 years to the most beautiful man in the whole of Tunisia" -- Jabeur's success also has a greater meaning.
"I absolutely love Ons' skill with the drop shots and the variation," she said. "I'm not an expert in tennis, but she doesn't just play back and forward -- it's the combination of everything that I find exciting. But also her fun on the court -- she's like a Ronaldo of tennis. The fun she has, the smiles she brings, it's brilliant.
"She's always been so close but never quite hit it. And now getting the furthest she's ever got is just amazing for Tunisian women, Arab women but also all women everywhere. She's a great ambassador for going for your dreams -- and if you do that, you can achieve anything."
