Ons Jabeur's outstanding recent efforts at Wimbledon have been recognized in her naitive Tunisia, where she was honored with the Great Medal of the National Order of Merit.
Jabeur reached the final of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, becoming a fan favorite throughout the tournament with her entertaining brand of tennis that perfectly suited the grass courts at SW19.
Unfortunately for Jabeur, she narrowly missed out on becoming the African player to win Wimbledon. Instead, Elena Rybakina made history by becoming the first Kazakhstani player to triumph in London.
Losing the final has not damaged Jabeur's iconic status in Tunisia. She is loved across the country for her achievements and the history she is making as a North African woman.
That status has been demonstrated by the honor she recently received. Tunisian president Kais Saied honored her with the Great Medal of the National Order of Merit, a unique state award given to very few citizens.
President Saied praised Jabeur in his remarks after giving her the honor. He named her the ambassador of Tunisia and congratulated Jabeur for her Wimbledon run and future successes, which seem inevitable.
Jabeur was very proud to receive the honor. The Wimbledon runner-up said she wanted to keep inspiring young people in the country and also declared herself very proud to be Tunisian.
"We want to give more hope to the young people who watch us. We hope to continue this momentum. We are proud to be Tunisians and we will continue with this success story,"
The 27-year-old thoroughly deserves the recognition after her memorable run at Wimbledon. She has a great chance of Winning the title at SW19 if she continues to play at such a high level.
Jabeur's focus will now turn to the North American hard-court season. Her playing style is dangerous on all surfaces, meaning she has a chance of going far at the US Open.