Ons Jabeur carries happiness with her. With an infectious smile on her face, she is a darling to her fans and fellow competitors alike. That circle of admirers seemed to have expanded further as Jannik Sinner’s girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya also came into the folds of it. During a practice session amid the Berlin Open, the Minister of Happiness was seen casually chatting with Kalinskaya, an old opponent whom the former has defeated twice.

Anna Kalinskaya took to her official Instagram story to share a clip of her talking to the Tunisian player in the Steffi Graf Stadion. “Girl talk,” captioned the Russian as the two enjoyed their break. The two were prepping for their respective quarterfinal clashes. Jabeur will play Coco Gauff, whereas Kalinskaya, will battle the Australian Open champion and another buddy of Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

If we look at the on-court encounters between Kalinskaya and Jabeur, the former always had the upper hand. They faced off for the first time at the Indian Wells Masters in 2021. Jabeur defeated Kalinskaya 6-2, 6-2. In their second battle against each other at the Charleston Open last year, a heartfelt moment was created.

In the quarterfinals of the event, Kalinskaya had to retire while Jabeur was leading 6-0, 4-1. Consequently, Jabeur moved to the semis. After the abrupt end of Kalinskaya’s run at the Family Circle Tennis Center, Jabeur gave a hearty hug to the Russian player. The spirit continued even during the post-match on-court interview.

The interviewer asked Jabeur how she felt about reaching the semifinals through a withdrawal. The polite Jabeur expressed a humble thought as she began her statement with, “I wish Anna a speedy recovery.” She also mentioned the same on her social media.

“Congrats on a fantastic tournament Anna, wishing you a speedy recovery,” Jabeur wrote. This very sportsmanship of Jabeur has earned her a distinct spot not only in the tennis realm but in her homeland as well. The economic crisis-laden country of Tunisia finds her as a beacon of hope. Tunisia, a historically football-dominated country, turned its attention to tennis with the rise of Jabeur. She became the first Arab player, male or female, to be ranked in the top 10 across the world. But the highlight moments of her career came in 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, she reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open, the first-ever Arab and African player to do that. She repeated the Wimbledon feat in 2023. It is no surprise that Tunisia’s Minister of Sports Kamal Daqish had stated on that occasion, “Ons made Tunisians happy being our champion and Minister of Happiness. We are proud of her, so I tell her play comfortably and avoid pressure.” On her way to the final, Jabeur defeated tournament favorite Aryana Sabalenka in the Semis. Despite that, her friendship with Saba was not dented.

Foes on the court, friends off it

Right after the match, Sabalenka posted on X, “Big congrats to @onsjabeur on an incredible performance. I hate you now, but u know I love u anyway! good luck in the final, you got this.” Earlier this year, again they got into a banter.

This time, Spanish star Paula Badosa joined Sabalenka and Jabeur. Badosa referred to her Stuttgart Open doubles partner Jabeur as her “best friend” in a press conference. After creating the fire, Badosa explained “I love both” to assure Sabalenka that she is still Badosa’s ‘soulmate’. Although the two got into a mock rivalry for Badosa, they ended up becoming friends as well. Not only Sabalenka, but Jabeur’s charming persona has also earned her more admirers on the court.

When Jabeur won the 2023 Wimbledon semifinal, Former world number one and six-time grand slam champion Kim Clijsters was quick to tweet: “Onsome win!” Jabeur’s sense of humor is also one more thing that contributed to her popularity. That has not even left Novak Djokovic. She had once teased Djokovic for copying her post-match reaction by patting the center-court grass. With all that, Jabeur is someone who is truly “Ons” in a million!