Ons Jabeur may have fallen short in her quest to become the first African woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era, but she did not leave the WTA Awards Week emptyhanded.
The Tunisian trailblazer won two awards during the WTA's annual prize-giving celebration that rewards the best-performing players and coaches in terms of match results and those who went above and beyond in contributing to every facet of the sport.
The self-proclaimed "Minister of Happiness" won the Karen Sportsmanship Award for the second year and the Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award for the first time. She is the first WTA player to bag two year-end season awards since Kim Clijsters.
The Sportsmanship Award is bestowed upon the WTA player who demonstrated exemplary ethical behavior on and off the court, abiding by the rules of fair play, respecting her peers, and being gracious and considerate.
It is tough to pick a name more deserving of this honorable award than Jabeur, who exercises mutual respect with her fellow pros and is undoubtedly the WTA's friendliest player. She gets along very well with every player she crosses paths with, and her charisma is an intangible part of her personality.
Testament to this claim, this award was voted by the WTA players themselves and portrays Jabeur as a natural leader. Meanwhile, the Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award celebrates her outstanding support for her peers and other initiatives on behalf of the wider player community.
Named in honor of retired American WTA player Fern Lee Kellmeyer, this award was instituted in 1977. The Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award has been won by former WTA No. 1s such as Chris Evert, Kim Clijsters, Pam Shriver, and Venus Williams and is also voted for by the WTA athlete peers.
This is the third successive year that Jabeur has been ranked in the world's Top 10, and she is undoubtedly her generation's most valuable African tennis player.
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