Ons Jabeur is putting a curtain on her very rough and challenging year as the Tunisian has decided to skip the remainder of the season due to her ongoing shoulder injury and try to return to being fully healthy for the start of the next season.
After a breakthrough 2021 season and then making Grand Slam finals during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, this year wasn’t that successful for the 30-year-old, who battled injuries and adversity throughout the entire 2024.
Earlier this year, the former world No. 2 experienced knee issues and also dealt with some illnesses, which negatively impacted her form as she was even on a five-match losing streak between February and April. During the clay swing, Jabeur started showing some signs of life after making the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open and French Open but it didn’t take long before her health troubles reappeared.
After disappointingly losing in the Wimbledon third round, the Tunisian tennis star went to Washington to start her summer on hard courts there but ended up giving a walkover just before her opening match. The following week, the three-time Major finalist got demolished 3-6 1-6 by Naomi Osaka in the Toronto first round before withdrawing from Cincinnati and the US Open.
Ons Jabeur© Ons Jabeur/Instagram – Fair Use
Jabeur’s announcement
“This year has been extremely hard for me and as athletes, we know that recovery is part of the journey. Due to my ongoing shoulder injury, my medical team and I I’ve made the difficult decision to step off the tennis circuit for the rest of the season. While I’m taking time to heal, I’ll be dedicating myself to charity work and ensuring that we make a real difference in the world. Thank you for all your support, and I can’t wait to come back stronger! And I will see you back on the court in Australia 2025,” Jabeur said in a message posted on her social media.
🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/Hp0Vvtuvxh
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) September 16, 2024
The 30-year-old finished 2024 with a 16-14 record and without making the quarterfinal stage in any of her tournaments played. Jabeur has also plummeted to No. 22 and she will further drop in the rankings because she won’t defend some points during the Asian swing.