In 2022, ONS Jabeur was the second-place female tennis player. Just three years later, she is taking an extended break from sports.
Yabul announced her break on Instagram, saying she hasn’t been happy in court for the past two years. Read her full statement:
“For the past two years I have pushed myself very hard, fought through injuries and faced many other challenges. But deeper, I have not felt really happy in court for a while.
“Tennis is a very beautiful sport. But now I feel that it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first. I rediscover the joy of breathing, healing and simply living.
“Thank you to all the fans who understood. Your support and love means the world to me, and I always carry it.
“Even while I’m away from the court, I will continue to be close and connected in many ways and share this journey with you.”
After finishing second in June 2022, Yabour finished the year strongly and performed again in 2023. She reached the quarterfinals at the French Open that year and arrived at the Wimbledon Finals, where she was defeated by Marcheta Vondru Vishava.
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Since then, Yabul has struggled in the Grand Slams. She again advanced to the French Open quarterfinals in 2024, but failed to progress past the third round in both 2024 and 2025 at other Grand Slam events.
Thanks to these early exits, Yabul saw her rankings plummeted to No. 71 before the announcement on Thursday.
Jabeur, 30, still has plenty of time to return to the sport and play at a high level. Many tennis players have left the game and come back strong. Amanda Anisimova left the sport in 2023 for mental health reasons and reached the Wimbledon final less than two years later.
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It is unknown how long Jabeur has been away from sports. Given her age and ability, it’s not a shock to see her turn on a more impressive Grand Slam run before she really calls it a career.
