Ons Jabeur highlights plight of female tennis players on tour, says they have to make "a lot more sacrifices" than male counterparts
Ons Jabeur believes 'ignorance' is the biggest reason behind the still prevalent inequality between the men's and women's tennis tours. Hitting back at those who feel the women's game is "boring," the World No. 2 went on to highlight that women have to make a lot more sacrifices than men, even on the tennis tour.
One of the biggest challenges that many female players have brought up over the years is the disparity in pay. While 'pay parity' has come a long way, many players, both past and present, continue to stress that there is still work to be done. In light of that, Jabeur shared her views on the overall inequality and criticism of the women's game.
The Tunisian tennis superstar slammed those who feel they "don't need" to watch women's tennis, wondering how they would know it was boring without ever spending time watching it.
"It’s crazy because some people are like: 'I don’t need to watch women’s tennis. It’s boring.' But how would you know?" Ons Jabeur told The Guardian.
Speaking about the sacrifices made by female players as compared to their male counterparts, the 28-year-old pointed out that one of the biggest sacrifices women on tour have to make is the forced choice between having a baby and focussing on their respective careers.
"Honestly, women make a lot more sacrifices than men," continued Jabuer. "Unfortunately, if I want to have a baby tomorrow I cannot as I am on tour. This is a huge sacrifice for women."
In saying so, Jabeur echoed Serena Williams' thoughts on the same. In her retirement announcement column for Vogue, the American tennis legend lamented that, as a woman, she was forced to make a choice between growing her family and continuing her career, a choice that male athletes do not need to make.
"Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family," Williams wrote on the same. "I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity."
Ons Jabeur reveals her desire to become a parent someday
Meanwhile, Ons Jabeur also opened up about some of her personal plans in life, revealing that she and her husband Karim Kamoun are excited and confident about becoming parents someday in the future. At the same time, Jabeur said that she is still a bit far off from entering that stage of her life as her tennis career is really flourishing at the moment and she is focused on the same.
"Everything is going great on court. It’s a good and bad thing but we’re being patient and we are very confident [becoming parents] will happen one day," Ons Jabeur expressed in the same interview.
Jabeur is one of the stars in focus in the new Netflix show on tennis, Break Point, which gives fans many behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives of tennis players. The episode featuring Jabeur shows her husband Kamoun's unwavering support for her as she fights the many challenges that come her way.
Since the episode was released, Kamoun, who is also Jabeur's fitness trainer, has revealed a lot of praise for his contributions to her career.