Tunisian hero Ons Jabeur is dismayed by the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) decision to cancel events in the country's city of Monastir and wants the move reversed.
Jabeur is loved worldwide due to her watchable brand of tennis that includes superb shot-making, such as her drop shot, which is one of the best on the WTA or ATP Tours.
However, she inspires people in the Middle East and North Africa in particular. Her achievements include reaching three Grand Slam finals: the 2022 and 2023 Wimbledon finals and the 2022 US Open final.
Unfortunately for Jabeur, 2024 was not as successful a season. The 30-year-old, who revealed she would have had a baby had she won the 2023 Wimbledon final, was a shadow of her former self throughout most of the year.
A knee injury sustained in the season's early stages did not help Jabeur's struggles. The Tunisian managed that problem throughout most of the season but often looked uncomfortable.
After withdrawing from the US Open, Jabeur decided to end her season early a few weeks later in an attempt to fully recover from the injury that plagued the former runner-up at Flushing Meadows for months.
Jabeur recently admitted that she regretted not taking a break earlier to let the injury heal and said continuing for longer than she should have created stress and tension that was unnecessary.
The fan-favorite publicly appeared at the recent WTA Finals, held in the Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Coco Gauff won the season-ending tournament after an epic battle in the final against Qinwen Zheng.
Jabeur seemed to enjoy herself at the WTA Finals and received a great reception from the fans, but she is far more unhappy about the ITF's decision to cancel events held in Monastir in December.
The ITF hosts crucial tournaments below the WTA Tour for aspiring players. It initially scheduled a range of events in Monastir throughout December but controversially canceled them.
Jabeur expressed her dissatisfaction with the decision in a post on X(formerly Twitter). She called Monastir a tennis heaven and said that the ITF's move would harm up-and-coming players who are already struggling.
"Monastir, where I do my preparation, is a Tennis heaven with future champions playing ITF events. Shocked to see that events have been canceled in December! Players are struggling already and They are working hard to get their ranking up! Care to explain @ITFTennis@HaggertyTennis?"
Jabeur also co-signed a letter with more than sixty other players asking the ITF to reverse the move and outlines why the tournaments scheduled in Monastir are crucial for players.
Despite Jabeur's worldwide fame, she has not forgotten her roots. The 30-year-old is a proud Tunisian, and her continued support for the young players in her home country is unsurprising.
Hopefully, Jabeur will return to the court soon to keep inspiring young players. The WTA Tour is in a great place, but tennis undoubtedly benefits when Jabeur is near her best and entertaining fans.