"Maybe I'm not ready to be a mum... I'm not getting any younger"- Ons Jabeur on how Wimbledon 2023 heartbreak affected plans for her family

By Sudipto Pati

Modified Apr 30, 2024 20:29 GMT

Day Thirteen: The Championships - Wimbledon 2023 — Ons Jabeur talked about the deeply personal tragedy she suffered at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

Ons Jabeur has opened up about the personal heartbreak that she and her husband Karim Kamoun experienced following her loss in the final of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Jabeur reached the Wimbledon final for the second-successive season last year, having lost the final in 2022 to Elena Rybakina. Her opponent in the 2023 final was Marketa Vondrousova, a surprise package who had made it to the last hurdle of the grass court Major against all expectations.

The Tunisian was the favorite to win, but inexplicably, her performance was riddled with errors. Vondrousova was only too happy to capitalize on Jabeur's mistakes, and the Czech won the final 6-4, 6-4. Jabeur was inconsolable, and broke down into a flood of tears.

Recently, Jabeur told The Guardian the deeply personal reason behind her heart-wrenching experience. According to the 29-year-old, she and her husband had planned to become parents, but her 2023 Wimbledon final loss turned their world upside down.

"I think it was meant to be. Maybe I’m not ready to be a mum yet. Hopefully I can get that title because I really, really want it. Obviously now coming from a couple of very difficult months, I will try to get there and hopefully one day I can be a mum and bring my kid to the tour," Jabeur said.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist also acknowledged that she is getting older and that she wants to play in front of her kid.

"I’m not getting any younger and I feel like it’s important that I want to come back and have my kid with me on tour," Jabeur added.

Ons Jabeur's form nosedived after her 2023 final loss

Ons Jabeur's form drastically dipped following her heartbreaking 2023 Wimbledon final defeat. Since that loss, the Tunisian could only win a solitary title at the Ningbo Open.

The 2024 season got off to a disastrous start for Jabeur, as she struggled to play at her best due to a niggling knee injury. Things went from bad to worse at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she burst into tears during her quarterfinal defeat against Beatriz Haddad Maia as her underlying injury woes overwhelmed her.

However, fortunately for Jabeur, she has had a recent resurgence. Currently in contention for the Madrid Open title, the Tunisian has reached the quarterfinals against Madison Keys. Jabeur is a former Madrid Open winner, having won the WTA 1000 event in 2022.