Ons Jabeur: ‘I chose to inspire people. I chose to be the person that I am’

Last October, Ons Jabeur became the first Arab player, man or woman, to be ranked in the world’s top 10. It was an important, proud moment for the 27-year-old from Tunisia, who has been setting firsts ever since she joined the WTA Tour.

The first Arab woman to reach a grand slam quarter-final, at the Australian Open in 2020 and last year she became the first Arab woman to reach the last eight at Wimbledon. This year, she has won two more titles, including in Madrid, where she became the first Arab or African woman to win a WTA 1000 event.

Next week, she will begin her Wimbledon campaign as the new world No 2 – providing she can shake off a knee problem that led her to withdraw from Eastbourne. Carrying the hopes of a nation on her shoulders, and blazing a trail for Arab and African players, has been something she has lived with throughout her career but it’s only recently she has come to embrace it, rather than let it be a burden.

“I see myself like I’m on a mission,” Jabeur told The Guardian in an interview from Berlin, where last weekend she won her second title of the year. “I tell myself I chose to do this. Let’s say, I chose to inspire people. I chose to be the person that I am. I want to share my experience one day and really get more and more generations here.

“So I don’t see it as a burden, I see it as a great pleasure and great responsibility. It’s part of the job, it’s part of why I am playing today. And I do believe in sharing. Sharing could help me, help me as a player and help the other generations.”

A junior grand slam champion at Roland Garros in 2011, it took Jabeur until 2016 to break into the world’s top 100 and she made the top 50 in early 2020. Of late she has taken off, hitting the top 10 last