Ons Jabeur Auctions Special Wimbledon Racquet to Raise Funds for Covid-Hit Tunisians

With her country experiencing hard times due to an explosion of Covid-19 cases, Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur has come forward to lend a helping hand.

The Tunisian, who had a dream run to the quarterfinals at this year?s Wimbledon Championships, said in an Instagram post that she had decided to auction off one of her racquets to contribute to the efforts to fight the pandemic in her country.

Ons Jabeur said she couldn’t look away while her country grapples with a healthcare crisis

Writing to her fans and followers in both French and Arabic, the two languages widely spoken in Tunisia, Jabeur said he couldn?t sit idly by while her country grapples with a public healthcare crisis of alarming proportions.

Detailing how dire the situation is back home, she added that infections are being reported at an exponential rate and the sheer volume of patients is overwhelming the hospitals, putting a severe strain on the existing health infrastructure.

For a country with a population of 12 million, Tunisia has already reported more than 16,000 deaths from Covid-19.

The World Health Association has labeled the country?s fatality rate due the novel coronavirus as the highest across the globe.

Jabeur?s racquet has been put on the auction block at a base price of $720 and bids are open for 48 hours.?

Jabeur used auctioned racquet to beat Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza and Iga Swiatek

The racquet which has gone under the hammer is the same with which she upstaged former champions Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza, as well as Polish tennis sensation Iga Swiatek on the way to reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

Her surge to the last eight was the best ever performance recorded by an Arab woman at the SW19 at All England.

Currently ranked just outside the Top-20 in singles, the Tunisian hopes to raise enough from the auction to pay for a resuscitation bed, which can cost $2000 and upwards.

If the auction fails to fetch the desired amount, the proceeds would go into the effort to fight the pandemic and procure medical equipment.

Watch This Link: Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty, Iga Swiatek and Other Surprising Women’s Singles Champions at French Open

Seeking generous auction bids for her racquet in a personalized message on Instagram, Jabeur said, ?It is for a good cause. I cannot stay here to watch my country go through difficult situations.?

Read More: “Difficult Sport Financially”: Ons Jabeur Grateful to ITF for Support During Hardships

The Tunisian defied all expectations to reach the second week of the tournament but couldn?t go past Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka in the quarters.