Ons Jabeur announces break from professional tennis to "finally put myself first"

Ons Jabeur is taking a break from professional tennis.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist made the announcement Thursday on her social media in a post explaining how she arrived at the decision.

“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 wrote.

“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.”

At Wimbledon, a tearful Jabeur was forced to retire early in the second set of her opening match with Viktoria Tomova. Two weeks earlier, the former world No. 2 had put together an encouraging quarterfinal run in Berlin that included dispatching Jasmine Paolini for her first Top 5 win in nearly two years.

“I'm really sad. It doesn't really help me with my confidence and what I keep pushing myself to do, even though it was a very tough season for me. So I hope I'm going to feel better and we'll see what's going to happen,” Jabeur said following her disheartening exit in London.

In March, Jabeur sustained a calf injury—a problem area she dealt with in 2023—when facing Paolini at the Miami Open. Returning at the Mutua Madrid Open, where she lifted her biggest career trophy in 2022, the Tunisian ultimately went winless across her three European clay-court appearances,

Last year, Jabeur shut down her season in September after withdrawing from the US Open with a shoulder issue. Currently ranked No. 71, the 30-year-old's most recent title came at the Ningbo Open in September 2023.

“Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always,” said Jabeur. “Even while I'm away from the court, I'll continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all.”