Ons Jabeur has withdrawn from a duo of tournaments in the Middle East to undergo ‘minor surgery’ following advice from her medical team.
The world No.3 confirmed in a statement posted on Instagram that she has pulled out of events in Doha and Dubai to have the operation. Jabeur has provided no details about the nature of the procedure she is having or why she is undergoing it. She had already withdrawn from this week’s Dubai Tennis Championships.
“In order to take care of my health situation. My medical team have decided that I need to get a minor surgery in order to be able to be back on the courts and perform well,” Jabeur said in an Instagram post.
“I will have to retire from Doha and Dubai and this is breaking my heart. I would like to say sorry to all the fans out there in the Middle East that waited for this reunion. I promise I will come back to you stronger and healthy.”
The withdrawal of the 28-year-old will be a big blow to organizers in both Doha and Dubai. Jabeur has been a trailblazer for women’s tennis in the region after becoming the first Arab player to contest a major final in the Open Era and the first to break into the world’s top 10. So far in her career she has won three WTA titles and was runner-up at seven other events.
Jabeur has experienced a mixed start to the season where she has won three out of five matches played on the Tour. At the Adelaide International, she reached the quarter-finals before suffering a shock loss to Czech teenager Linda Noskova. Then at the Australian Open, she lost in the second round which was her earliest exit from the tournament since 2019. Last year the Tunisian was runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
No information has been provided about when Jabeur will return to the Tour but it is assumed that she still plans to play in North America during March where two WTA 1000 events will be held in Indian Wells and Miami.
