In Pictures: Ons Jabeur delights in meeting her 'inspiration' Cristiano Ronaldo after attending Al-Nassr vs Al-Hilal in Riyadh
Ons Jabeur expressed delight after meeting her 'inspiration' Cristiano Ronaldo in Riyadh. The Tunisian, currently in the Saudi Arabian capital, caught up with the soccer legend after the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on Friday, November 1.
Jabeur has been out of the tour since the 2024 Canadian Open. A shoulder injury has sidelined the former World No. 2 for the rest of the season. She arrived in Riyadh last week to take part in an event with young soccer players.
On Friday, Jabeur showed up at Al-Awwal Park to witness the heavyweight clash between Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and table toppers Al-Hilal. The Tunisian took to her Instagram to share her excitement at seeing Ronaldo from the pitchside.
"What a feeling to be infront of my inspiration," Jabeur wrote on her Instagram stories.
She also shared a few other snippets from her time watching the match.
After the match, Jabeur clicked a picture with Ronaldo which she posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
"No words needed. Thank you @Cristiano," she wrote on X.
Friday's clash ended on a stalemate with both teams going neck to neck from the kickoff. Al-Nassr got off to a firing start, taking the lead in the first minute via Talisca. However, Al-Hilal crept back into the game, finding the equalizer in the 77th minute courtesy of a header goal from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Ronaldo had a couple of opportunities to make it to the score sheet. He fired a shot at goal from outside the box in the 75th minute but was denied by Bono, who was well-positioned in goal to parry it away.
Ons Jabeur named Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest-ever player to play for soccer club Real Madrid
Ons Jabeur picked Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest-ever player to play for Spanish giants Real Madrid. The Tunisian, who passionately follows soccer, is a great admirer of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
In an interview with the Goal via Instagram last year, Jabeur was asked to name the best club in Europe. The ardent Real Madrid fan chose the "Los Blancos" and picked Ronaldo as the best player to ever play for them.
With 450 goals, Ronaldo remains the all-time leading goal scorer for the club. He won 16 titles during his time at the Spanish capital, including four UEFA Champions League trophies.
On the tennis front, Ons Jabeur is expected to be back in action in Australia at the start of the next season. It remains to be seen whether the Tunisian will regain full fitness by then.