Ons Jabeur was very excited about the chance to play in the Middle East once more, but the Tunisian was forced to withdraw from the Dubai Championships and the Qatar Open.
The Middle Eastern stretch of events after the Australian Open is a significant part of the calendar, featuring one WTA 500 event and two WTA 1000 events. There are three events in total, starting with a tournament in Abu Dhabi and followed by events in Doha and Dubai.
The Tunisian, as an Arab player, was very excited to play in the Middle East because she’s beloved in that part of the world despite not being from there, technically. The culture is very similar, and she feels the love of fans and simply feels at home.
Unfortunately, she won’t be playing at these events this year because doctors advised her to undergo minor surgery to get back to her best tennis. That is why she withdrew from the tournaments in Doha and Dubai.
She apologized to fans for withdrawing but promised to come back to the tennis circuit to play more tennis.
"In order to take care of my health situation, my medical team has decided that I need to get a minor surgery in order to be able to be back on the courts and perform well. I will have to retire (withdraw) from Doha and Dubai, and this is breaking my heart. I would like to say sorry to all the fans in the Middle East that waited for this reunion. I promise I will come back to you stronger and healthy."
Jabeur played superb tennis last year, making two Grand Slam finals, but this year has seen her have a rough start. It’s unfortunate that she started to experience physical problems now as well, but fans are hoping for her quick return.