In an emotional statement, Ons Jabeur, the number one female tennis player and the symbol of the Arab tennis village, announced an unlimited break from playing to “find joy in life”.
This decision was made after a long time of Jabeur struggling with injury, pressure of competition and decline that made her no longer feel happy on the field.
“It is time for me to put myself first: breathing, healing and recovery,” Jabeur wrote on social networks, emphasizing that she will temporarily leave tennis to prioritize mental health. “I lost the joy of playing, which made me love this sport.”
From the beginning of 2025 until now, Jabeur played and continuously had to withdraw from major tournaments because of many physical problems, from shoulder injuries, knees, to symptoms of shortness of breath due to asthma at Australian Open. She was eliminated early at Roland Garros, not attending Wimbledon and fell from the top 70 world, her lowest ranking for nearly 5 years.
Although the recent achievement is not satisfactory, Ons Jabeur is still one of the most influential players with contemporary women's tennis. She had three times to the Grand Slam final (Wimbledon 2022 and 2023, US Open 2022) and was the first Arab woman to reach the No. 2 position in the world. With creative style and open personality, Jabeur was dubbed the “happy minister” of WTA Tour.
Jabeur's leave announcement surprised fans but also received many encouragement from experts. Prioritizing psychological health in the context of the harsh schedule is becoming a new trend of the top sport.
Currently, Jabeur has not yet determined the return date. She shared that she will take this time to rest, her family and maintain connection with fans in her own way. In the future, people still hope to see Tunisia player shine again with a familiar smile after she has found herself, both inside and outside the field.