SUMMARY
- Ons Jabeur has had a forgettable start to the season, but her outing in Doha was memorable for a different reason.
- Jabeur met with the Palestinian soccer team, who thanked her for her support.
Tunisian star Ons Jabeur is very vocal about the causes she believes in. Her ability to speak her mind and do it with kindness has earned her adoration from fans all over. Admiration for Jabeur is not just limited to tennis, though, as the Palestinian soccer team met with her in person recently to extend their gratitude for her unflinching support.
Ons has not had the best start to the season. She has lost three matches out of the five she has played so far. Jabeur was in Doha this week to compete at the Qatar Open, the first WTA 1000 tournament of the year. Unfortunately, her campaign came to an abrupt end as Lesia Tsurenko ousted her in the second round.
While Jabeur may have had a forgettable outing in Doha, she will remember meeting the Palestinian team. Despite her struggles, Ons met with them gracefully. She was all smiles when they thanked her for standing up for Palestine during the war against Israel. The team then handed Jabeur a jersey as a token of admiration.
Tunisian professional tennis player @Ons_Jabeur receives a warm show of support from #Palestinian football players during their encounter in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/aJZs0BTjao
— Doha News (@dohanews) February 14, 2024
Israel has been at war with Palestine for years, but the conflict escalated in 2023. Jabeur was one of the very few to speak up, and she faced a lot of backlash for it too.
Since the video of Jabeur meeting with the team surfaced on social media, praise has poured in for Ons. The video has won the hearts of fans, who have commended the player. Here are a few reactions.
she can b losing r2 n still have more positive impact than all of the rest of the wta combined 🙏🫶 https://t.co/Rqqj7zqOhB
— marxist-keninist (@tennisywilliams) February 14, 2024
my GOAT 😭❤️ https://t.co/meYcGmXhX3
— Ons Fan with PTSD 🍉 (@onslayeur) February 14, 2024
Ons Jabeur is one of the most impactful players on the tour at present. As an Arab-African player, Jabeur’s influence on women’s tennis cannot be quantified. It is no wonder that many look up to her.
A young ball girl shares a message for Ons Jabeur
Jabeur has been an inspiration to girls, particularly Arab girls, who want to take up the sport. A young ball girl at the Qatar Open even shared a heartwarming message for the Tunisian.
Oh this is just so cute u can see how much representation truly means to kids
A message from a ball girl in Doha to Ons Jabeur pic.twitter.com/skR6zRARcK
— Melanie Lautrup (@melanie_lautrup) February 13, 2024
“I love you so much. I can’t explain how much I love you. I look up to you and you’re basically my favorite player and I want to be as strong as you,” said the young girl.
Ons Jabeur’s start to the season has not been up to par. She will hope to turn things around in her favor as quickly as possible, as the year progresses.