Ons Jabeur reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Tatjana Maria 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 on Wimbledon center court, a victory that also marks the debut of Arab and African women.
The Tunisian is the first Arab woman to reach a grand final and the first African woman to do so in the Open era.
Third-placed Jabeur will face 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep or Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s final.
In the deciding set, Jabeur broke her 34-year-old German opponent—who was a first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist—twice en route to a 5-0 lead.
This was Maria’s 35th appearance in a major tournament, and the 103rd place finisher had never advanced beyond the third round.
Elena Rybakina defeated 2019 champion Simona Halep 6-3 on center court to score a Wimbledon final against Ons Jabeur.
Both Rybakina, 17th, and Jabeur, 3rd, are rookie Grand Slam finalists.
Rybakina is the first player from Kazakhstan to reach a grand final. Jabeur is the first Arab woman to reach a grand final and the first African woman to do so in the open era.
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Rybakina, 23, is the youngest Wimbledon finalist since 2015, when Garbiñe Muguruza lost to Serena Williams.
Halep, the winner of the 2018 French Open, reached the semi-finals without losing a set, but was broken early in both sets.
The 30-year-old Romanian was unable to defend her Wimbledon title last year—after the 2020 edition was canceled—due to a calf injury.
