Ons Jabeur 'doing my best' to be fit and ready for Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Ons Jabeur has said she is doing everything she can to be physically ready for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, as she continues to manage a lingering knee injury through the Middle East swing.

Seeded No 5 in Dubai this week, Jabeur has a bye in the opening round and has been drawn to face a qualifier in round two.

The three-time grand slam finalist, who is the highest-ranked Arab tennis player in history, was forced to miss the tournaments in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai last year as she underwent surgery for an enlarged nodule that was obstructing her airways.

This year, the 29-year-old has struggled with a knee issue and arrives to Dubai on the back of a quarter-final exit to Beatriz Haddad Maia in Abu Dhabi and defeat to Lesia Tsurenko in her opening match in Doha.

“I think it’s the worst decision you can take because my heart wants to play and my body is not allowing me so much,” Jabeur told The National on Saturday when asked about the challenge of trying to play at her favourite tournaments while managing an injury.

“I feel like I need to take the right decision and sometimes you have to take decisions where your heart is not agreeing with it. But all I know is that I’m doing my best to be ready for this tournament and be ready to play here and compete in front of amazing fans.”

Full Dubai draw pic.twitter.com/NXQP0ItcNn

Jabeur receives incredible support when competing on Arab soil and has fond memories from previous Dubai appearances, even in defeat.

In 2020, she held match point against former world No 1 Simona Halep in a last-16 showdown before falling to the Romanian in a deciding-set tiebreak in front of a sellout crowd at Dubai Duty Free Tennis stadium. Tunisian football chants echoed throughout