Two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur has announced she is taking a break from tennis to ‘rediscover the joy of living’ after a difficult spell in her career.

The Tunisian recently made a tearful first-round exit at Wimbledon as she was forced to retire injured during her match against Viktoriya Tomova.

Jabeur has asserted herself as something of a fan favourite on British soil in recent years, having made the final at SW19 in both 2022 and 2023, falling to Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova on those occasions.

The defeats would combine with her 2022 loss at the US Open final in fuelling a painful pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title, with subsequent injury issues and a decline in form culminating in her decision to step away from the court.

“For the past two years, I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges,” she said in a statement on social media. “But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now.

“Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living.

“Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always.

“Even while I’m away from the court, I’ll continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all. Ons.”

Jabeur has become a trailblazer in women’s tennis as the first African and Arab woman to feature in a major singles final, as well as becoming the highest-ranked African and Arab tennis player in ATP and WTA rankings’ history when she reached No 2 in 2022.

She had emerged as a must-see attraction on both routes to the final at the All England Club with her daring drop shots and bag of tricks.

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