On Thursday, Tunisian tennis icon and two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur announced she is taking a break from professional tennis.
She said that she needs such a break to "rediscover the joy of living' after a difficult spell in her career."
Jabeur retired from her Wimbledon first-round match due to injury against Viktoriya Tomova.
The 30-year old player said in an official statement: "For the past two years, I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges," asserting: "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 became a real icon 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.
Follow the latest news on Google News
