Tunisian 29-year-old tennis star Ons Jabeur mourns the situation in Gaza and plans to donate part of his WTA tour championship prize money to the Palestinians.
At her best, she was second in the WTA world ranking of women’s professional tennis Ons Jabeur commented on the situation in Gaza after defeating the Czech Republic in the first group of the championship Marketa Vondrousova on Wednesday in Cancun, Mexico.
In the summer, Vondrousova defeated Jabeur in the Wimbledon final. The match in Cancun ended with Jabeur’s victory with a score of 6–4, 6–3.
– I’m really happy about the win, but otherwise I haven’t been in a very good mood lately. I mourn the current world situation, because it is hard to see the death of children every day, said a moved Jabeur.
– It’s heartbreaking, so I’ve decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians.
Humanitarian aid
Jabeur, who is currently seventh in the world rankings, defined his stance as humanitarian.
– This is not a political message. I just want peace in the world, Jabeur emphasized.
– I also regret that this tournament should only be about tennis.
Jabeur admitted that it has been very difficult for him to concentrate on tennis in recent weeks.
– I try to avoid social media, but I come across horrible pictures and video clips every day. It’s also hard to sleep when the situation seems so hopeless, Jabeur continued.
Jabeur has received praise in the past for the way he inspires a new generation of tennis players.
She is the first woman of Arab and African descent to reach a Grand Slam final. Jabeur was picked up by the BBC in 2022 on the list of one hundred influential and inspiring women.