"Ons Jabeur's career on a race with Frances Tiafoe's, on the road to nowhere" - Fans bemoan Tunisian's 'awful' loss to Naomi Osaka in Canadian Open 1R

Ons Jabeur's crushing loss to Naomi Osaka in the opening round of the 2024 Canadian Open has left tennis fans dismayed. Many have raised concerns about the future of Jabeur's career, as the Tunisian's on-court woes show no sign of abating.

After skipping the Paris Olympics to prioritize her fitness, Jabeur was forced to pull out of the Citi Open with a shoulder injury. The World No. 16 then commenced her North American hardcourt swing at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto, taking on Osaka in the first round.

Back on her favorite surface, Naomi Osaka dominated the encounter, claiming a 6-3, 6-1 win over the ninth seed to record her fifth victory against a top 20 player since returning from maternity leave. Ons Jabeur appeared helpless against the Japanese, as she did not manage to secure a single break point opportunity throughout the one-hour and 12-minute encounter.

Disheartened by her performance, fans raised their concerns about Jabeur's career being on a "downswing," drawing a comparison between her career trajectory and that of Frances Tiafoe, who also crashed out of the Canadian Open in the first round.

"Ons' career path is on a race with big Fo's....on the road to nowhere....when Ons struck out at the big W that was the air being released from the balloon that is her career," one fan commented.

"Good match from Osaka but also awful from Ons honestly. With her injury issues recently and slide in rankings it really feels like she's on the downswing now especially with her turning 30 in a few weeks," another fan chimed in.

"Yes...to me it looks like she's done..Physically she's just not there anymore," said another.

Fans also voiced their frustration over the Tunisian's "awful" display in the contest.

"Ons Jabeur has probably the lowest floor of any WTA top 10/15 player. when she’s off, and she very much was off today, be it physically or mentally, she’s very, very bad. Prone to getting 6-1’d in 25 minutes. Sad to see," one fan posted.

"I won't lie - she was awful. Naomi tried to play winners in first and couldn't find rhythm. But in second, she basically just kept ball in, and Ons did a job for her. It isn't the same Ons we watched last season," another fan wrote.

"Seems that skip the olympics didn't work for jabeur," a fan contended.

Others, meanwhile, praised Naomi Osaka for her promising performance, with one fan predicting that she could be a formidable contender at the US Open.

"The top 4 players are going to be praying she's not in their US Open bracket," a fan commented.

"A huge statement win this afternoon for Naomi Osaka, who never really looked in trouble against No. 9 seed Ons Jabeur. It’s so nice to have Naomi back and playing at such a high level," another fan chimed in.

"Naomi is back on track. After her strong performance against Swiatek at the French Open, she seems to be gaining momentum again. In contrast, Jabeur is in an absolute slump," said yet another.

Naomi Osaka to take on Elise Mertens in Canadian Open 2R after win over Ons Jabeur

Naomi Osaka and Ons Jabeur (Source: Getty)

Following her win over Ons Jabeur, Naomi Osaka will square off against Elise Mertens in the second round of the 2024 Canadian Open. Mertens claimed a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Katie Volynets to book her place against the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Osaka enjoys a 4-2 lead in her head-to-head record against the Belgian, including a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory in their most recent encounter at the 2024 Libema Open. However, Mertens emerged victorious in their last meeting on a hard court, beating the Japanese 7-5, 6-4 at the Indian Wells Open earlier this year.

Ons Jabeur, meanwhile, will be back in action at the Cincinnati Open, which commences on August 11, making her final stop before the US Open.