Ons Jabeur earned her first grand slam title in June 2022, but don’t call her an overnight success. The Tunisian has been quietly making a name for herself on the WTA Tour since her late teens and, in 2022, she enjoyed a breakout season, winning the Madrid Open and reaching the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. Her achievement makes her the first Arab or North African player to reach the final of a grand slam and the first Arab woman to win a WTA 1000 event.
Growing up in Sousse, Tunisia, Jabeur fell in love with tennis when she tried the sport aged three. Having never played before, she won a local tournament designed for under-10s and began training at a local club. What followed was an almost obsessive compulsion to practice her strokes, with Jabeur spending countless hours in the sun honing her skills. Thanks to her dedication, at just 14, she was offered a scholarship to train at a tennis academy in Belgium.
Studying five hours a day alongside her training, Jabeur’s game improved dramatically during her time in Belgium. Aged 16, she won the junior title at Roland Garros and within two years she had turned professional. Just as she was starting to find her feet on the tour, however, tragedy struck. Her beloved father passed away in 2012, forcing her to reassess her life and her goals.
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