Ahead of the Dubai Tennis Championships, Ons Jabeur has been candid about fitness concerns.
The 2024 season got off to a bad start for Jabeur.
Teenager Mirra Andreeva beat her in the second round of the Australian Open.
Then, Beatriz Haddad Maia beat her in the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open, while Jabeur also lost her opening match against Lesia Tsurenko at the Qatar Open.
Jabeur admitted to feeling pressure to participate in events in the Middle East.
Jabeur blamed his struggles this season on a persistent knee problem.
The Tunisian brought up the subject again in a recent interview, when she candidly described the challenges of training and competing while experiencing pain.
“I think it’s the worst decision you can make because my heart wants to play and my body doesn’t allow it,” she told The National.
Jabeur admitted she struggled to prepare for next week’s Dubai Tennis Championships, where she is seeded No.5.
After leaving Abu Dhabi, Jabeur was asked about the cause of her tears during the Haddad Maia match.
“Honestly, I don’t think about it too much. I am an open book, an emotional person. I like to show off,” Jabeur told reporters.
“One thing I’ve learned is to embrace emotion, and if I try to hide it, it won’t make me feel good.”
Commentators Anne Keothavong and Mikey Perera noted that Jabeur seemed to be struggling with some sort of problem.
We suspected something was going on. I don’t know what,” Keothavong said.
Perera noted that something seemed off about Jabeur but that she wasn’t really that far from her normal game.
“Well, we kind of thought she didn’t seem entirely comfortable in that encounter, but I didn’t think it was anything too serious but definitely could be a problem here for Ons Jabeur.”
As one of the top eight seeds in Dubai, Jabeur will receive a bye into the round of 16.
Jabeur will face the winner of the first round match between Australia’s Storm Hunter and Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in her opening match of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
She is looking forward to performing well in Dubai after the horror she endured.
Jabeur hopes to inspire a new generation of Arab women to take up the sport.
“It’s always amazing to come here,” Jabeur said during the draw for the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships.
“Dubai is my home, so I’m excited to start the season really well here.
“The most important thing is of course to be healthy, so I want to win more matches and do more.
“I am very lucky to play here in Dubai and in many tournaments in other Arab countries and it has really helped me become the player I am today.
“It’s my dream to see more women from this region playing tennis and reaching a high level.”
LEARN MORE: Emma Raducanu reveals Ons Jabeur’s kind gesture before their very first meeting
