Ons Jabeur: Arab support 'pushes me to be better' as valiant US Open run ends in last 16

Ons Jabeur said the support of the Arab world continues to push her to "be better" after the Tunisian's valiant run at the US Open ended in the fourth round on Monday night.

Fifth seed Jabeur battled the flu throughout her campaign in New York and after grinding through the previous three rounds, came up short against Chinese 23rd seed Zheng Qinwen in a 6-2, 6-4 defeat inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Jabeur struggled to catch her breath at times earlier in the tournament and she looked exhausted against Zheng, who will face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Despite the disappointment of failing to replicate last year's run to the final – and coming weeks after a heartbreaking loss in the Wimbledon final – Jabeur said there were plenty of positives to take from the US Open.

"No matter what the tournament is, you always take a great lesson [away]," the three-time Grand Slam finalist said. "For me, I discovered something in me that can help me for the rest of the season and rest of my career: it's managing these conditions, I know that I can dig deep.

"Sometimes I'm tough with myself because today I couldn't turn on the warrior mode and it was disappointing, but I know that I was trying my best. It's tough to accept it at the time but that is the lesson I will take. We will work on some technical things and hopefully be ready for the next tournaments."

Jabeur's trailblazing achievements as the most successful Arab tennis player in history have made her a source of pride and inspiration throughout the Mena region. That level of support also comes with additional pressure and expectations, although the 27-year-old Tunisian insisted she uses it as motivation instead of a burden.

"I'm trying to