Jabeur takes break from tennis to 'put myself first'
Jabeur, 30, the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final, has struggled with her form in recent months, failing to get past the third round of a major this year.
The Tunisian made the announcement via a social media post on Thursday.
The two-time Wimbledon finalist's campaign came to a disappointing end at the All England Club last month as she retired from her first-round clash against Viktoriya Tomova, unable to continue after a long medical timeout.
Thank you for your support 🙏🏻❤️ pic.twitter.com/AiffrjDzU0
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) July 17, 2025
She was in tears at the Australian Open in January when she suffered an asthma attack during a second-round match with Colombian Camila Osorio, who she eventually beat 7-5 6-3.
She said afterwards that it would have been "very difficult to continue" had she lost the opening set.
Jabeur, a former world No.2, has often been called the 'minister of happiness' for her cheerful personality. But she said she was not feeling truly happy on the court any more.
"For the past two years, I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges. But deep down, I haven't truly felt happy on the court for some time now," she said in a statement.
"Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it's time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living."
Jabeur, who has also reached the US Open final, is married to former fencer Karim Kamoun and has been open about her wish to start a family.
"Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always," she added.
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