Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur has sparked considerable controversy after officially announcing her withdrawal from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 10. The icon of Arab tennis, who is ranked tenth in the world, surprised her followers and tennis enthusiasts worldwide when she confirmed via her official Instagram account her decision not to participate in the Olympic tennis events after consulting with her medical team, according to her statement.
Jabeur, regarded as the best Arab and African player in the history of tennis, raised a wave of questions, especially as she is currently competing in the Berlin Open. Many experts had nominated her as a potential candidate to bring home a medal for Tunisian sports, especially following the confirmed absence of Olympic and world champion swimmer Ayoub Hafnaoui from the Games last month.
The 29-year-old player stated, "After consulting with my medical team, and given that the rapid change of surfaces could expose my knee to the risk of injury along with endangering the rest of my season, we decided not to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics. I have always loved representing my country in all competitions, but I must prioritize my body and follow my medical team's advice." She added, "I wish my fellow Tunisian athletes a successful participation in the Games, and I will be their biggest supporter," confirming her absence from the tennis competitions that begin on July 27 and run until August 4.
Jabeur's appearance on Tuesday evening at the Berlin Women’s Championship, a 500-point event against China's Wang Chen, further stirred controversy and reactions, as many believe that conflicts between her and the Tunisian Olympic Committee over the past two years significantly influenced her decision to withdraw from the Tunisian Olympic delegation that will be in Paris, after she participated in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Many experts speculate that Jabeur's expected participation in the Wimbledon Championships, the third Grand Slam tournament in July, may have played a role in her decision to withdraw from the Paris courts. She is set to compete in this year’s Wimbledon, where she reached the finals in the past two years (2022 and 2023), becoming the first Arab and African player to achieve this feat, and will have the chance to reach the finals for the third consecutive time with aspirations to win her first major title.
This year, Jabeur has experienced one of her worst seasons in terms of results, failing to reach beyond the quarter-finals in any tournament she has participated in during 2024, with her latest performances being at the French Open, where she exited in the quarter-finals against American Coco Gauff, and last week at the Birmingham tournament, where she lost to Czech Karolína Plíšková.
Ons Jabeur is considered one of the most prominent Tunisian athletes in recent years, having etched her name in gold letters in the major tennis tournaments. Although she has not yet won a Grand Slam title, she has reached the finals on three occasions and is the only Arab and African to have done so, achieving this milestone at Wimbledon in 2022 and at the US Open in the same year, before losing again in last year's Wimbledon final.
