Jabeur Explains She Postponed Start Of Her Season To Avoid Another Injury
WTA
Ons Jabeur didn't really play any preparation events ahead of the 2024 Australian Open, and it was largely by design, and it didn't really change much.
The tennis season is very long, so we've seen players take scheduling more seriously. Once upon a time, players used to play a lot of events, but nowadays, they've become quite selective with it, especially the top players who can afford to miss tournaments.
Jabeur is among them, and unlike previous seasons, she skipped a few events this year ahead of the Australian Open. She didn't avoid tennis completely as she took on Aryna Sabalenka at an exhibition in Riyadh, but this decision to give herself more time was taken a long time ago as she revealed after her first-round win.
"I'm not sure if you're going to believe it, but this decision was kind of made before the grass season last year. So I felt like I have been getting a lot injured. The season is very long. So I was, like, Okay, maybe it's better that I take my time, rest, take my time also to do a good preseason."
There wasn't any negative impact on that in her first match at the event, as she won it comfortably in two sets. The goal was to come fresh to Australia, tackle the Australian Open fully healthy, and see what happens.
"I'm sure after I would be able to play a lot of matches, and I'm not going to miss it much. So I was, like, Okay, I'll keep full energy for the Australian Open. Since, given what happened last year, I didn't want to take the risk and just come back and play a lot of tournaments."
So far, so good for the Tunisian, but the real test will come in the next few days as she starts to play higher-ranked players. Up next is none other than 16-year-old prodigy Mirra Andreeva.
