All eyes today, Saturday afternoon, in Tunisia, Africa, and tennis fans worldwide are directed towards the main court at the All England Club, hoping that "the third time's a charm" for Ons Jabeur in Grand Slam finals. Will the "Minister of Happiness" from Tunisia succeed in breaking the curse and delighting millions of her fans?
The Tunisian player, Ons Jabeur, aims to win the Wimbledon final against Czech player Marketa Vondrousova, which would make her the first Arab and African woman to lift a Grand Slam trophy in the history of tennis. Jabeur flirted with the title twice last year, reaching her first major final at Wimbledon, which she lost to Kazakh player Elena Rybakina, before falling again nearly two months later in the US Open final against the Polish world number one, Iga Swiatek. The currently sixth-ranked player is a favorite against her 42nd-ranked opponent, who has become the first unseeded player to reach the Wimbledon final in 60 years and the first in the modern era of the sport since it began in 1968.
Ons, or "the Minister of Happiness," as she is called by Tunisians, was born in the coastal town of Qsar al-Hilal in the Monastir region on August 28, 1994, into a family of two boys and two girls, of which she is the youngest. Throughout her sports career, the presence of her family has been significant, supporting her every step of the way. The tennis-loving family environment led her mother, Samira Al-Hachfi, an amateur tennis player in the late 1990s, to take her four-year-old daughter to training courts where she would collect balls.
Regarding the significant role her mother played in launching her career, Ons Jabeur said, "My mother was my inspiration. She is a huge tennis fan and took me to a tennis club when I was three years old. She played with her friends, and I acted as a commentator." Gradually, Ons Jabeur's passion for tennis grew until she was selected by the coach of the Sousse Tennis Club, Nabil Melika, to join the junior team and begin honing her talent. At the age of eight, Jabeur started participating in local beginner tournaments and achieved notable results that encouraged her parents to further support her path, leading her to travel for the first time to Paris at the age of ten for her first international tournament.
Ons Jabeur continued to play at the Hammam Sousse Tennis Club until she turned thirteen when she moved to study at the sports institute in the capital, Tunis, to study and train while developing her skills in the game. In previous media statements, Ons revealed that transitioning to the sports institute was beneficial, asserting, "In 2011, I won my first international title when I won the Roland Garros juniors title at the age of 16." In 2012, she turned professional and participated in her first tour event in February of that year in Doha, Qatar, although she did not advance beyond the early rounds.
Over ten years of entering the professional tennis world, Ons has created an impressive career and a shining history, with her family consistently present during most of her competitions, as her physical trainer is none other than her husband Karim Kamoun, whom she married in 2015 and who has been her personal fitness coach since 2017. Ons Jabeur stated in an interview with "IFM" radio that "Kareem's presence in my private life and sports career is very important; initially, he wasn't part of the coaching staff, but his interest in my competition journey and his competence in his field motivated me to work with him. Our journey has been successful, and love played a significant role in my accomplishments so far."
Karim Kamoun has always been seen alongside Ons Jabeur, and she frequently praises his effective contribution to her victories and titles, sharing images of them on her social media platforms. Ons Jabeur experienced exponential growth in her professional journey, particularly in the past two years when she won the Birmingham title in June 2021, marking her first title in her professional career. However, 2022 was an inspiring year by all standards as the "Minister of Happiness," as she is dubbed in Tunisia, reached the finals of two Grand Slam tournaments: Wimbledon and the US Open.
In a charitable initiative, she auctioned off her rackets in July 2021 to purchase medical equipment and assist hospitals in her country, which faced a "tsunami" wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and contributed to renovating and refurbishing schools and institutes in marginalized regions in northwest Tunisia. She is known for her boldness and tenacity in playing and does not hesitate to ask a fan to be quiet so she can concentrate. The sports equipment company "Lotto" designed a special shirt for her that read "Yalla Habibi," which she wore during the final match at the 2022 US Open, indicating that the player is "an inspiration for others."
She is very active on social media, sharing videos and photos of parts of her family life with her husband Karim Kamoun, as well as celebrating her victories after each tournament.
