Ons Jabeur sends ‘motivated’ warning as she targets ‘amazing’ 2025
Ons Jabeur has revealed she is “ready and motivated” for an “amazing” 2025 as she looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2024.
Former world No 2 and three-time major finalist Jabeur struggled to find form across 2024, in part due to a lingering shoulder issue that affected her throughout the year.
The Tunisian has not stepped onto court since an opening defeat to Naomi Osaka at the Canadian Open, ultimately withdrawing from the US Open before calling time on her 2024 campaign.
Jabeur has fallen to 41st in the world rankings though, speaking to Arab News, the 30-year-old revealed her optimism ahead of 2025.
“I had time to rest my shoulder, I’m feeling much better than before. It allowed me to also recover mentally,” she said.
“It’s been a tough couple of years going on tour, so to breathe in for a couple of months was really awesome and I can’t wait to come back in Australia.
“I’m ready and very motivated and honestly hungry to play matches. I feel 2025 is going to be an amazing year.
“I listened to my body for sure. I should have done that way before. But as a professional tennis player, as an athlete, you always try to push yourself to do more.
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“For me, it was a bit tough, and thankfully it wasn’t too late to stop and take a break.
“I’ve learned with my experience and definitely still learning. The most important thing that I have learned is how to listen to my body and to know when to stop, when to take a break.
“And it’s okay to take a month or two off because it will help you have a deep breath and push for the next tournaments.”
Jabeur was not in action at the WTA Finals this year, failing to qualify after back-to-back appearances in 2022 and 2023.
However, she attended this year’s season finale in Riyadh, where she proved to be a star attraction with fans in Saudi Arabia.
She admitted that attending the event as an ambassador made her extra motivated to return as one of the world’s top eight singles players in twelve months.
She added: “I’m very happy to be here in Riyadh, the WTA Finals is happening here.
“I think it’s a great thing for women’s sport, for Arab women’s sport as well. It’s the biggest event that ever happened for women in Saudi. It’s an amazing step.
“I’m not very happy that I’m not playing, but also at the same time I’m happy that I’m here to check everything out. It will be my motivation to qualify for next year.”
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