SUMMARY
- Ons Jabeur could not control her tears during the quarterfinal match against Beatriz Haddad Maia at the Abu Dhabi Open.
- Ons Jabeur spoke about how she felt in the match and why she broke down on the court.
The second edition of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open saw top seed Elena Rybakina lift the trophy. While Daria Kasatkina was the runner, being the seventh seed, the other top seeds faced unexpected defeats. Second seed Ons Jabeur was beaten in the quarterfinals by Beatriz Haddad Maia. Jabeur turned emotional during her match against Maia, as she later revealed the reason behind the tears.
The Tunisian player was struggling to be in her best form against Maia. While Maia was serving for the match in the second set, Jabeur started crying. When asked about the incident, she mentioned her longstanding troubles with knee injuries. Jabeur said, “We go way back with the knee; some tournaments it’s good, some tournaments it’s bad.” She felt bad to lose in front of her fans at the stadium.
The sun will shine brighter, @Ons_Jabeur ❤️ pic.twitter.com/dPHoj2SZZ1
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) February 9, 2024
Jabeur had undergone minor knee surgery after the 2023 Australian Open. However, her condition is better than before, which sometimes affects her performance on the court. This year, Jabeur has played in two events and won one match in each. She will be next playing at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, which began on February 12.
Ons Jabeur is hoping for favorable conditions at Doha
Players will not be getting much rest after the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, as there is only a 24-hour interval before the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. Players have already arrived in Doha as the matches have begun. The opening day saw the top players amaze the fans with their splendid fashion statements. Jabeur, too, came out in style at Doha and will now do the same on the court.
The world No. 6 will be playing in Doha for the first time in two years. Jabeur reached the quarterfinals in 2022 and 2020, which remains her best performance at the event. She made her debut at Doha in 2012 and will be playing for the ninth time at the event. Jabeur is seeking crucial victories in the coming days, as she has yet to make an impact on the tour this season.
With 6 days to go until #QTO2024, we are gearing up for an exciting tournament with current WTA singles World No. 6 Ons Jabeur.
Falling short in her previous entries in Doha, she will be looking to come back with a vicious swing after missing QTO 2023 due to injury. pic.twitter.com/mdj9iEKJyH— TotalEnergies Qatar (@TotalEnergiesQA) February 5, 2024
The 29-year-old has received a bye in the opening round and will face Lesia Tsurenko in the third round. Tsurenko had been defeated during the qualifiers for the Dubai Open in 2018, which was their first meeting. Jabeur beat the Ukrainian player last year in Charleston. She will be careful with her knee against Tsurenko while her fans continue to cheer for her.