Ons Jabeur's significant impact in Tunisia, the Middle East, and North Africa has been demonstrated by the issuance of a national stamp in her honor in her home country.
Jabeur became the first North African woman to reach the Wimbledon final at this year's Championships. During a WTA interview at the start of the year, she had predicted she would win Wimbledon.
Despite an excellent run at SW19, Jabeur fell narrowly short of achieving that goal. The 27-year-old lost the Wimbledon final to Elena Rybakina despite winning the first against the big-serving Kazakhstani.
Hopefully, the rest of Jabeur's season will not be derailed by injuries. In the second set of her round-of-32 match against Qinwen Zheng at the Canadian Open, she retired due to a physical issue, although it did not seem to be overly serious.
Nothing that happens between now and the end of the season will change what a national hero Jabeur is in Tunisia, and the North African country's government decided to honor her achievements and status.
The Wimbledon runner-up has had a national stamp issued to recognize what she means to Tunisia. That award is given to very few people in countries, showing the esteem she is held.
Fatma Haddad, the first Tunisian woman to hold a state doctorate in philosophy, and the Berber queen Kahina, who led an Indigenous resistance against invaders in 7th-century North Africa, are some of the others in Tunisia to have stamps issued in their honor.
Being given the same recognition as those iconic figures is a testament to Jabeur's achievements. She will become even more iconic if she manages to take the next step and win a Grand Slam.
Hopefully, Jabeur is fit and ready for the Cincinnati Open. Winning some matches in Ohio would give her the ideal preparation for challenging at the upcoming US Open.