I'm not retiring - Ons Jabeur on breathing, healing and coming back to tennis, as-salamualaikum
As-salamualaikum. It's been almost four months since Tunisian star Ons Jabeur posted that she was stepping away from professional tennis for an indefinite period to focus on her health and happiness.
She explained she'd been struggling physically and mentally over the past two years and no longer felt joy on the court. “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,” she wrote.
This week Ons returned to a tournament setting, not to play but as an ambassador for the WTA Finals in Riyadh. It’s her first public appearance since she retired from her Wimbledon match in July with breathing issues, and she looked happier.
“My break is going well. I'm discovering life a little outside tennis,” she said at the practice courts in Riyadh, where others were training. “I've been busy with different things - the foundation, the academy. I'm trying to launch new projects, so it's been fun.”
The 31-year-old admits the first weeks off felt “a little bit weird” because she suddenly had no strict routine. “When your body is used to six, seven hours of training a day and then you suddenly don't do anything, just eat and go to the beach and relax, I was like, ‘What am I doing?’”
“But then I got more creative and active, doing more stuff, and my favourite part was spending time with my family.”
She used the break to work on projects close to her heart, such as starting her foundation and building an academy in Dubai that will open soon.
Before talking more about these projects, she reflected on how she reached the point of needing a break from the sport she loves. Was it hard to find “the joy of simply living” while on tour? “For me personally, yes,” she replied. Tennis was her life since age six, and even vacations were planned around training, so she never felt free from the game.
“Trying to find something that makes me happy outside tennis was difficult, and given the tough two years I had, it wasn't easy. The place that used to make me happy suddenly became my sadness and gave me depression. I was scared - thinking, ‘What if I never find joy on the tennis court again?’ But I don't think that's the case. I'm not retiring like many think - I'll come back someday.”
She won’t set a timeline. She hasn’t picked up a racquet much since her announcement and misses it, but not enough to force herself into proper practice. “I just want to enjoy life, and when my mind and body tell me I'm ready, then I will come back.”
Ons was warmly welcomed by peers, coaches, and staff when she appeared in Riyadh. She said she received two types of reactions after announcing her hiatus: overwhelming support from many people she didn't expect, and messages from fellow players who saw themselves in her story.
“Always, when you skip something and decide to put yourself first, people might think you're selfish,” she said. “But I got so much love, and members of the mental health community reached out to say it was the right decision because they could see I was suffering.”
Many players told her they recognised what she described, and that sharing her struggle helped them too. “For someone who smiles a lot, to take a decision like that and feel broken was surprising for people. I wanted to show I'm human.”
Burnout is becoming more common in professional sport, especially in tennis with its long season. Ons doesn't have a simple answer about whether burnout is inevitable under the current system, but she knows the pressure to keep playing can be intense from sponsors and entourages.
She vows not to sacrifice her well-being when she returns. “I want to choose my tournaments. I want the schedule to adapt to me, not the other way around. I'll try to speak up more and get the tennis community to treat us as human beings, not robots. This is a beautiful sport, and we need to be smart about it. I just want to be myself on the court and not feel stressed.”
During her break she shifted focus to her foundation and academy. One early project is rebuilding the sports area at her old primary school so kids have a place to play different sports, not just tennis. “I want to live a meaningful life - give kids the chance to dream big without worrying about money or facilities,” she said. She hopes to cooperate with ministries in Tunisia to help the community.
Her academy in Dubai has been a childhood dream. She wants a family-like environment that respects each child's individuality rather than forcing a single style. She plans to be present and work with the kids herself. “Maybe it's a way for me to find joy again on the court, seeing the innocence of the kids. It might remind me how I enjoyed playing when I was younger.”
She hasn't set a return date, but believes when she does come back she can regain the level that took her to two Wimbledon finals and to become the highest-ranked African woman in tennis history. “The belief is there, but even if I don't get back to exactly the same place, I won't put so much pressure on myself. The important thing is I'll try, be happier on the court, and know I did my best.”
May Allah grant her ease and a successful recovery, and guide her steps in these projects and her return to the sport she loves.
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