Ons Jabeur poses for Vogue Arabia, claiming that more Tunisian kids believe they can be tennis champions
Fashion magazine Vogue Arabia announced that WTA World No. 2 Ons Jabeur is the cover star for their January 2023 edition.
The Tunisian, who is nicknamed "The Minister of Happiness," enjoyed an impressive 2022 season, winning 47 out of 64 matches with two titles to her name. She won her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open by beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 0-6, 6-2 in the final.
Her second title of the season came at the bett1open in Berlin after her opponent in the final, Belinda Bencic, retired due to an ankle injury. Jabeur also reached two Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, losing to Elena Rybakina and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, respectively. She finished the 2022 season ranked second in the world.
Ons Jabeur's game and her cheerful demeanor on and off the court has made her very popular not just in Tunisia but in the entire Arab world and she was chosen to be Vogue Arabia's cover star for their January 2023 issue.
"Kickstarting 2023 on a powerful note, #VogueArabia’s January issue sees none other than #OnsJabeur on its cover. Now a national hero in her home country, the Tunisian tennis pro serves as a symbol of a new Arabia, blossoming with fresh possibilities," the magazine's Instagram page captioned their image of Jabeur as their cover star.
The popularity of tennis in Tunisia has increased since Ons Jabeur emerged on the WTA tour. The 28-year-old claimed that more kids in her country believe they can pursue a career in the sport and also mentioned that seeing people in Tunisia play tennis for fun was a great victory.
"I know that more kids in Tunisia now believe they could have a professional tennis career. Before, there wasn’t a clear picture of what that looks like. Now there is hope in the young generation. Even just seeing that more people in Tunisia are playing tennis for fun – these are great victories," Jabeur said.
Ons Jabeur will start her 2023 season at the Adelaide International 1
After an impressive 2022 season, Ons Jabeur will be eager to impress in 2023. The Tunisian will start her season at the Adelaide International 1 where she is the top seed. Other players competing in the WTA 250 tournament include Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova, and Danielle Collins.
Jabeur will also compete in the Adelaide International 2 before playing at the 2023 Australian Open.