"I know that’s not nice but I was trying to win the match" - Ons Jabeur makes most of Marie Bouzkova's discomfort in 2023 US Open 3R win

Ons Jabeur has stated that she made the most of Marie Bouzkova's discomfort during their third-round clash at the 2023 US Open, before apologizing for doing so.

At a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, September 2, Jabeur and Bouzkova went head to head with a place in the Round of 16 on the line. And for the second consecutive round, the Tunisian was forced to come from a set down to seal the win.

While Jabeur came through the two-hours-and-55-minutes battle 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3, Bouzkova earned fans' love by pushing through the contest despite picking up an injury in the second set.

In her on-court interview after the match, Jabeur admitted that she made the Czech run around a lot more after noticing that she was struggling to move. The 29-year-old also apologized for doing so and defended herself by stating that she was just trying to win the match.

"At the end of the second set, I tried to make more [of] the point, hit it a little bit harder. And I was just trying to play my game. You know, I honestly saw her struggling [a] little bit with her legs, so I tried to make her move as much as I can. I know that's not nice but I was trying to win the match here," she said, with a laugh.

"And at certain times I was like, ‘is she like really injured?’ Like, I wasn't sure, she was making all my drop shots. Like, I'm either making the best drop shots or the opposite. I'm not sure," she added.

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Qinwen Zheng stands between Ons Jabeur and a quarterfinal spot at the 2023 US Open

Qinwen Zheng in action at the 2023 US Open.

Ons Jabeur has experienced both highs and lows at Grand Slams in recent years. For two consecutive years, she fought through the field at the Wimbledon Championships to reach the final, only to finish as the runner-up both times — to Elena Rybakina in 2022 and to Marketa Vondrousova in 2023.

At the US Open last year, Jabeur dropped just one set en route to the final, where she stumbled against World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. After making back-to-back finals at Wimbledon, the World No. 5 will be looking to do the same at the New York Major — and go a step further this time.

The Tunisian will be in action again on Monday, September 4, when she takes on World No. 23 Qinwen Zheng in the Round of 16. The 20-year-old Chinese player defeated Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in her third-round contest.