Ons Jabeur stresses the importance of tennis for herself and her country, says it's "not just a sport"
World No.10 Ons Jabeur highlighted that 'tennis is not just a sport' for her. She explained that she always steps on the court in an attempt to make her country, continent and region proud. She believes that she has a 'mission' to set an example for other Arab women and empower them.
Ons Jabeur recently created history after becoming the first Arab female player to win the Mubadala Tennis Championships. The Tunisian player made a stunning comeback against Belinda Bencic in the finals, winning the match with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, (10-8).
Our women's ππππ π£ππ’π‘!
@Ons_Jabeur π
#MWTC #MakeWayForTheBest https://t.co/La7ZpCEwaJ
In an exclusive interview with 'The National', Jabeur said:
βI donβt play for myself anymore. I play for my country, my continent, my region. Tennis for me is not just a sport."
Jabeur emphasized that she wants to be an inspiration for other Arab women and lead them by example. She feels that she has a 'mission' to do this job and thus, wants to work even harder to make her supporters proud. She said:
βI know there are a lot of women in other countries who are not able to do that, and by me representing Arab women, I can lead by example. Itβs very important for me and hopefully, I can succeed in sharing this message."
βI know I have a lot of people behind me, a whole region behind me. Itβs a mission for me. I feel like I have this job, this mission to rise and set this example; to work even harder and get even better and keep setting higher goals. I want to continue and make everyone proud," continued the 27-year-old.
Ons Jabeur reveals her goals for the upcoming season
Ons Jabeur earned quite a big name in the 2021 tennis season. She gave some terrific performances at the Birmingham Classic, MUSC Health Women's Open, and Chicago Fall Tennis Classic. This allowed her to finish the year within the top-10 WTA rankings, making her the first Arab female tennis player to do so in tennis history.
Ons Jabeur πΉπ³πΎ
Viking Classic Birmingham Open π¬π§π https://t.co/W1tE1wcFOx
In the interview, Jabeur discussed her ambitions ahead of the upcoming season. She remarked that she likes to set her goals high and wants to be in the top five or three players. Jabeur stressed she will be eyeing the big titles in 2022.
βI like to set high goals; I like to say them out loud to put pressure on myself. I want more titles and I want to be in the top five, top three. I want to win the big titles. Those are the main goals," mentioned Jabuer.
Jabeur also stated that she has gained a lot of experience after playing a lot of tennis in the 2021 season. She said she will try to take her gameplay to the next level from now on.
Jabeur has won 48 matches so far in 2021, more than any other woman player this season.
english.alaraby.co.uk/news/tunisias-β¦
βI gained a lot of experience from last year and I want to challenge myself and see if I can continue this level and try to improve even further," concluded the Tunisian player.
Ons Jabeur will now be looking forward to succeeding at the 2022 Australian Open.
Also Read: βI am proud and honored to be the first Arab woman to play the Mubadala World Tennis Championship" - Ons Jabeur