Being Vulnerable is Beautiful and Contagious
The most heart-breaking and heart-winning moment of Wimbledon 2023
After overcoming tournament favourites Rybakina (no.3 seed and defending Wimbledon champion) in quarter-final and then Sabalenka (no.2 seed and defending AO champion) in semi-final, Ons Jabeur (no.6 seed) reached her third grand slam final only to lose it in straight sets to unseeded player Marketa Vondrousova from Czech Republic, the lowest-ranked winner in history at 42nd.
Jabeur calls it “her most painful loss of her career”.
The above photo captures the heart-breaking moment when Jabeur lifts her runner up Wimbledon trophy with one hand while covering her eyes with the other, seemingly trying to hide her disappointment or perhaps shame as she struggles to come to terms with another loss in a grand slam final.
Three losses out of three grand slam finals for her.
I can’t imagine how emotionally conflicted and painful it must be for Jabeur when Kate the Princess of Wales handed her the runner up trophy on centre court of Wimbledon as fifteen thousands people cheered on their feet.
It looks like, out of courtesy for the royal and the fans, she marshalled all her strength and managed to lift the trophy with one hand for just a few seconds, then quickly let it down, and hid it like a token of failure behind her back for the rest of the ceremony.
Some may say that being the runner up of three grand slams is nothing to be ashamed of and Jabeur needs to learn to be more gracious in defeat, but I actually find the rawness of her on court behaviour not only understandable but also far more precious and powerful.
It is the most real, authentic, brutal yet beautiful display of her emotions and vulnerability under extremely tough circumstances.
It instantly brought me closer to her as a person, establishing a deep emotional connection that’s rooted in some of my own experiences of the same nature.
We all struggle with ultimately the same human struggle in life, and that’s what makes us all human beings.
To be vulnerable with that struggle in front of other people not only demonstrates personal strength, but also empowers others to do the same, creating a conducive environment to foster genuine connections between people.
While vulnerability might not win you tennis championships, they certainly can win you people’s heart, because through you they often see themselves.
