“I feel it’s great what I achieved.” Ons Jabeur said last year, reflecting on her professional journey. Especially considering that she comes “from a small country” where people still “dream of seeing someone win a Grand Slam.” The World No.34 has come a long way since she turned pro, aged 16, back in 2010. Reaching so far wasn’t an easy ride for her given the fact she hails from an island nation. Where tennis hasn’t spread at a rapid pace. Growing up there, the three-time Slam finalist had to face some major challenges. But what were they?

In an episode of the Nothing Major podcast, dated February 1, the hosts shared a previously recorded interview with Jabeur. A few weeks back, she made an appearance as a special guest. In the interaction, she discussed various aspects of her life while growing up as a sportsperson. But the hosts were very curious to know about her early years in Tunisia. At the beginning of the session, the host asked her: “Is there a tennis culture there or is it a difficult place to grow up playing tennis at a high level like you did?”

To this, she replied by revealing a major difficulty she faced in her home country. Especially when it comes to tennis training. Highlighting the lack of widely available infrastructure in Tunisia, a decade ago, she said, “Well, when I was really young, there had been like some tennis clubs, but not big ones.”

Elaborating on how she used to manage her sessions, Jabeur added, “Most of the tennis courts were in hotels. So I don’t know if you know the club MET. They, you know, they have a lot of tennis courts there. And most of the time we go and play there.” But that was a long time ago. Now she thinks there’s been a lot of change in terms of tennis getting popular in Tunisia. She mentioned that people there are “big fans of the older generation, McEnroe, Navratilova. So we’re trying to, now they’re following actually more and more tennis.”

As she looks forward, Jabeur’s main focus will now remain on having a better season in 2025. Why so? It’s because she couldn’t get off to a good start earlier this month.

Ons Jabeur gearing up to step back on the court after a disappointing run at the Australian Open

After staying on the sidelines since the 2024 US Open in September, where she was ousted in the first round, Ons Jabeur kicked off 2025 with an appearance at the Brisbane International in late December. While she was looking solid, her campaign didn’t last long. The former World No.2 made it to the QF round. But she was eliminated after a 4-6, 6-7 defeat against teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva.

Her next event at the Adelaide International wasn’t a good experience either. After winning the first-round battle against Danielle Collins, Jabeur failed to put on an impressive show against Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. The latter beat her in straight sets with a score line of 6-2, 6-4.

Coming into the Australian Open, it seemed she was back in form after clinching back-to-back victories in the first and second rounds. Sadly, American Emma Navarro put a full stop on her journey in Melbourne. The World No.9 eliminated her after winning the match with a score line of 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

But what’s done is done and Jabeur knows it well. She will now be seen trying her luck at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. On Monday, she will kickstart her campaign against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. Do you think the Tunisian will make a deep run in this WTA event? Let us know in the comments below.