Ons Jabeur regrets the early closure of the tennis season: “I’m not happy” | Tennis

Ons Jabeur expressed regret about ending the season in September.

The former world number two has battled injuries all year, causing her ranking to drop.

She eventually relented and announced that she would no longer compete in 2024. But Jabeur admitted she was “not very happy” after her appearance at the WTA Finals.

Jabeur has not played a match since losing to Naomi Osaka at the Canadian Open in August. After withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open and US Open, she and her team decided to cut short the season due to an ongoing shoulder injury.

The Tunisian recently returned to tour in a different role. As a significant figure in Arab tennis, Jabeur was invited to the first WTA final in Riyadh.

While the three-time Grand Slam finalist is excited to bring the women’s sport to Saudi Arabia, she admitted it was difficult for her to compete at the final championships of the season without competing, having previously qualified in 2022 and 2023.

“I am very happy to be here in Riyadh, the WTA Finals are taking place here. I think it’s great for women’s sports, including Arab women’s sports,” she said. Arab news. “This is the biggest event that has ever happened for women in Saudi Arabia. This is an amazing move.

“I’m not very happy that I’m not playing, but at the same time I’m glad that I’m here to check everything out. This will be my motivation to qualify next year.”

Jabeur also faced some physical setbacks in 2023. After ending the season early, she admitted that she regretted not doing it earlier.

She continued: “I definitely listened to my body. I should have done this earlier. But as a professional tennis player, as an athlete, you’re always trying to push yourself to do more.

“It’s been a little tough for me and luckily it’s not too late to stop and take a break.

“I learned from the experience and I’m definitely still learning. The most important thing I’ve learned is to listen to my body and know when to stop and when to take a break.

“And it’s okay to take a month or two off because it will help you take a deep breath and prepare for the next tournaments.”

It was the right decision – the 30-year-old has already recovered and is looking forward to arriving in 2025. “I’m ready, very motivated and, frankly, hungry to play matches. I feel like 2025 is going to be an amazing year,” she added.

Jabeur will return to action in January when the 2025 season begins in Australia.