Ons Jabeur, two-time Wimbledon runner-up, announced on Thursday she is taking a break from tennis, saying she hasn’t felt happy on the court for some time and it was time to put herself first.
The 30-year-old last played at on June 30 at the grass-court major Wimbledon, retiring from her first-round match against Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova because of difficulty breathing. She suffers from asthma and experienced breathing difficulties at the 2025 Australian Open.
Jabeur dealt with leg problems this year, while her 2024 season ended early because of a shoulder injury.
“For the past two years, I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges,” Jabeur said in a post on X. “But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now.
“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 had hinted at a break following her Wimbledon exit, saying at that time she would “try to disconnect a little bit from tennis” and spend time with her family while recovering.
Jabeur’s Struggle For Form
A Wimbledon finalist in 2022 and 2023, Jabeur struggled for form this season, suffering a first-round exit at the French Open and a third-round defeat the Australian Open.
Her best run came at the Qatar Open, a WTA 1000 tournament, where she reached the quarterfinals. She also reached the same stage at the Brisbane International and Abu Dhabi Open, both WTA 500 events.
“Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always.
“Even while I’m away from the court, I’ll stay continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all,” added Jabeur, who also reached the 2022 U.S. Open final.
Jabeur, who holds a career-high ranking of No. 2, has slipped out of the Top-50 and is currently 71st in the world. While the Tunisian announced her break, she did not mention how long she would be out for.
