"I have made the difficult decision to step off" - Ons Jabeur shuts down 2024 season amid ongoing battle with shoulder injury
Ons Jabeur has called time on her 2024 season, citing shoulder injury as the reason. Jabeur plans to return during the Australian summer next year.
The past few weeks have been extremely challenging for Jabeur. The Tunisian’s shoulder injury hampered her during the North American hard-court swing. She withdrew from the Citi Open before her first-round match against Robin Montgomery and suffered an early exit at the Canadian Open, losing to Naomi Osaka.
The injury also led Jabeur to withdraw from the US Open. The 30-year-old, who was the 17th seed, was replaced by Elise Mertens in the main draw.
Jabeur’s pursuit of a tour-level title this season has now come to an end. The former World No. 2 shared this news on X, stating that she would focus on recovery and charity work the rest of the year.
"This year has been extremely hard for me and as athletes, we know that recovery is part of the journey. Due to my ongoing shoulder injury, my medical team and I have made the difficult decision to step off the tennis circuit for the rest of the season," Jabeur said.
Jabeur expressed her eagerness to return to the court and said she plans to return during the Australian tennis season.
"While I’m taking time to heal, I’ll be dedicating myself to charity work and ensuring that we make a real difference in the world. Thank you for all your support, and I can’t wait to come back stronger. And I will see you back on the court in Australia 2025," she added.
Ons Jabeur had a disappointing 2024 season
Ons Jabeur lacked consistency throughout the 2024 season. The World No. 22 won just 16 out of her 30 matches in the season.
Her best performances were quarterfinal finishes at the Abu Dhabi Open, Mutua Madrid Open, French Open, Rothesay Open, and Ecotrans Ladies Open.
The Tunisian fell out of the WTA Top 10 in July. Jabeur, who was the 10th seed at Wimbledon, was eliminated by Elina Svitolina in the third round, ending her hopes of winning her first Major title.
Besides her current shoulder issue, a persistent right knee problem caused her to miss the WTA 1000 event in Dubai in February. From then until April, Ons Jabeur also endured a five-match losing streak.