Today's Edition
RABI HAMAMSAH (ABU DHABI)
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur is a crowd favourite in the region as the leading Arab tennis player and the UAE is no different. It was evident against as fans in large numbers were treated to a delightful win by Jabeur in her opening singles match at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
Post a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Emma Raducanu, another popular name with the expatriate crowd, she was left blushing when asked in the post-match court presentation about the crowd and they immediately whistled and cheered before she could reply.
The slightly speechless Jabeur, though, showed quick wit while seeking the fans’ support for her upcoming match against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia. “Thank you for coming, but I also know there are a lot of Brazilians who live here [in the UAE] so I will need you more in the next,” she said to another loud round of cheers.
The competition is heating up with the quarter-finals coming up for the February 3-11 tournament, as leading players from around the world navigating through a tough draw in the W500-category event.
In Tunisia, Jabeur is lovingly known as the Minister of Happiness, as she brings hope and joy to her people and more broadly, to aspiring athletes and tennis fans across the Arab world.
The 30-year-old is ranked sixth in the world. Jabeur has won four singles titles over the course of her 13-year professional tennis career, all of which have come in the last three years: the 2021 Birmingham Classic, the 2022 Madrid Open, the 2022 German Open, and the 2023 Charleston Open.
Against Raducanu, Jabeur won 82.8% of her first serve points (24 of 29), to 53.1% (26 of 49) for the UK’s Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion. The Briton is coming back on a long road of recovery after hand and foot surgeries which cost here a season.
Expressing her happiness in winning the match against Raducanu, Jabeur noted the match was not an easy one, and serves as a ‘’good start’’ for upcoming matches.
Against her next opponent, the Brazilian world No. 13 Maia, she said: “I think she’s a great player. It’s going to be a mental fight before anything else, and we’ll just have to practice tomorrow with my coach and talk tactics. But I know her pretty well. She knows me very well, and it’s going to be, I’m sure, an epic match,’’ Jabeur said, speaking to Aletihad.
When asked about her experience in the UAE so far, Jabeur noted that she is having a “great time” in Abu Dhabi.
“I’m loving it here. I feel like I am home. It’s amazing to see the crowd supporting me, and hopefully we’ll see more. For now, I’m just enjoying being here, and I’m definitely enjoying the food.”
On the cultural side of things, Jabeur pointed to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as a particular favourite, stating: “I love the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque so much. There is a certain calmness I feel every time I visit, and if I had to choose one spot as my favourite in the city that would be it.”
Meanwhile, the top seed Elena Rybakina had a scare when she went down a set before staging a comeback against Danielle Collins. Playing in her first match of the tournament, she took time to shake off the rust before winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
