The last time Melburnians saw Ons Jabeur, she was trudging off court and struggling to breathe after a shock second-round defeat as the No.2 seed at the Australian Open.
The issue was so serious that the Tunisian trailblazer had surgery afterwards to reduce the size of a nodule that was obstructing her airway and left her coach fearing she might die.
Ons Jabeur trains at Melbourne Park.Credit: AP
That “scary” episode, as Jabeur described it ahead of her return to Melbourne Park, was just one, albeit significant part of an emotionally challenging year for her.
The Israel-Hamas war has deeply impacted the world No.6, who in October posted a statement to her Instagram story criticising the ongoing violence against civilians, and expressing solidarity with Palestine. She also donated a portion of her WTA Finals prizemoney to Palestinian aid and encouraged donations through the United Nations World Food Programme.
Jabeur’s solidarity with Palestine caused some angst, with Israeli Tennis Association president Avi Peretz accusing her of supporting a “murderous terrorist organisation”.
Tunisia has a history of supporting Palestine. Jabeur explained her personal stance in a wide-ranging interview with this masthead.
“It’s terrible what’s happening there [in Gaza]. I don’t like to see kids and people dying every day,” Jabeur said.
“All the wars that are happening in the world – I wish I could have, like, a button that I could push and end all this, and obviously, I wish peace everywhere. I try to help as much as I can, but it is definitely still a very tough period for me, and I’ve been seeing this, of course, since I was a kid… So I wish that this will stop and definitely will call for a ceasefire.”
There was also a third, in some ways even more personal heartbreak for Jabeur in 2023.
Shattered: Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur was in tears after losing the Wimbledon final for a second successive year.Credit: Reuters
People in tennis refer to the almost-always smiling, articulate star as the “Minister of Happiness” – but she was anything but after losing a second-consecutive Wimbledon final last year.
That would be enough to reduce many of Jabeur’s peers to tears, particularly given it was her third such defeat, including the 2022 US Open decider. However, in this case, there was more to the story.
Several WTA Tour stars have taken a break in recent years to have children – or are pregnant now, like Petra Kvitova – from Naomi Osaka to Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina and Angelique Kerber.
Unbeknown to others, Jabeur and her husband, Karim, had made a pact before Wimbledon that she, too, would put her brilliant career on hold to start a family, on the proviso she won a maiden grand slam on London’s hallowed grass courts.
The 29-year-old’s intense emotions are even more understandable with that knowledge.
“It’s a lot of things at the same time. I’m a family woman, and I love kids so much,” said Jabeur, who starts her campaign against Ukranian Yuliia Starodubtseva on Margaret Court arena on Monday night.
“I have a niece and nephew and always want to be around them. I feel like babies are so innocent, and they have such a great energy – and I want to have kids of my own. My husband is also great, and I feel like he’s going to be an amazing father, too.
“It’s going to be a great family portrait for both of us, and I want to help my kids achieve their dreams.”
Jabeur was quick to clarify that special moment, whenever it comes, will not signal her retirement from the game that has presented her a platform to make positive change in her country and beyond.
“It’s one thing that I want to do, and I want to show, if you get married or have kids, it doesn’t stop there,” she said. “You can always come back and achieve a lot of things in your career.”
The pact is strictly for Wimbledon, where she has unfinished business that is “bugging” her more than any of her other tennis pursuits.
Even so, an Australian Open title in two Saturdays’ time would be historic, given she is in line to become the first Arab and first African player to claim a grand slam championship in that scenario.
Her 2020 run to the last eight in Melbourne was the first time she reached a grand slam quarter-final, and she has since made it at least that far at all four majors.
Jabeur on her way to the WImbledon final last year.Credit: Reuters
But Jabeur is not content being a “nearly” player and is doing everything possible to become a champion.
“It depends on the day – sometimes [I want it] too much,” she said.
“I might sound like I’m too focused on it, but I try to really enjoy my time on the court, and I can’t imagine not achieving something because if I put something in my mind, I want to achieve it, and it’s always been like this.
“It’s a big challenge for me, and I’m learning a lot from it [but] it’s a process, and it doesn’t happen just that day of the final, but outside in practices, every match that you play. It didn’t happen three times for me, but hopefully the fourth one will be the charm.”
Jabeur discusses many of these topics in typically forthright fashion in her well-received documentary, This Is Me, which she revealed to this masthead could have another edition to come.
“I was honest and transparent, and I wanted it to be my own thing. I’m glad the camera had all the focus on me; it was something that I always wanted to do,” she said.
“You know me in press conferences; I always want to tell people what I have in mind – and the documentary was at the right moment to say everything because sometimes I don’t have the time to say a lot of things.
“I’m glad that I introduced my family, my country, and hopefully if everything goes good with this season, we may go for season two.”
As always with Jabeur, there is a bigger picture in mind beyond herself.
She noted the presence of countryman Aziz Dougaz and Jordan’s Abdullah Shelbayh in Australian Open men’s qualifying and remains optimistic there will be more Arab and African players on the tour.
“I feel like the change is happening,” Jabeur said.
“We don’t see a lot of players now, but I think in the future [there will be] because the belief is there right now. They believe if I did it, and I didn’t come from a rich family … that everything is possible.”
Watch all the Australian Open action live on Nine, 9Gem, 9Now and Stan Sport from Sunday, January 14.
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