‘Thought She Was Gonna Die’- Ons Jabeur’s Harrowing Australian Open Health Scare Recalled

Tough times don’t define you, they refine you. And, a clear example of this statement is the 29-year-old Tunisian tennis superstar Ons Jabeur. Let’s look at how the former number 2 battled all her hardships and made a comeback last year. 

Recently Jabeur spoke about her history-making journey in the racket sport at ‘This is me’, a Tod original documentary which will be released later today on Tod. tv. She revealed her terrifying health scare after playing Marketa Vondrousova at the AO last year. What did she say? Let’s find out more about this story.

Ons Jabeur recalls the only moment when she had put herself in front of everyone else

The current number 6 from Tunisia is the highest-ranked African and Arab player in the history of WTA and ATP. She has won 5 titles in her career and has featured in the finals of Grand Slam singles events thrice in her career. But sadly for her, she came up the second best on all three occasions. In this 90-minute documentary, she revealed all her strengths and weaknesses and also acknowledged how far she’s come so far in her career. Ons Jabeur has managed to put Tunisia on the maps of the tennis world. But the journey was not so easy. 

Her coach Issam Jellali recently recalled a horrifying moment saying, “I thought she was gonna die.” But what happened with Ons Jabeur? Jabeur opened up about her struggles with mental and physical health over the last few years in her documentary. She disclosed the serious health scare she suffered during the 2023 Australian Open. After the match, she needed medical assistance as she turned blue and struggled to breathe. Jabeur recalled that moment and said, “For once in my life I had to put myself in front of everyone, my health in front of everyone. That’s something I don’t think I’ve done a lot in my career.” How did it happen?

Well, the Tunisian says had an enlarged nodule that was preventing oxygen from getting into her lungs. She then had to undergo surgery and was completely out of action for 5 weeks. She had missed the entire Middle East tour during that period.

READ MORE: Tunisian WTA Star Ons Jabeur Confesses to Getting Ridiculed by People as a Kid Owing to One Tennis Dream

But when she made her comeback, she did it in style reaching the Wimbledon finals for the second time in her career. She also won two titles in 2023 and had also qualified for the WTA Finals. That’s the journey for 2023, but let’s now look at her journey throughout her career.

The Journey of the ‘Minister of Happiness’

Ons Jabeur, known for her contagious smile spreads happiness wherever she steps in. She was first introduced to tennis by her mother at the age of 3. She became a pro in her teens and recalled how people laughed at her when she said she was going to win the French Open one day. However, Ons Jabeur overcame everything that was meant to destroy her dreams. She fulfilled her dreams in 2011 when she won the junior title at Roland Garros at the age of 16. The first African and Arab to win a junior major in 47 years.

Jabeur is now an inspiration to many aspiring tennis players from Africa. But she doesn’t want to stop here and is now looking to find the real cause which always keeps her a step behind her major title. Can she become the first African and Arab woman to lift a Grand Slam title in 2024? Well, she’s leaving no stone unturned and was seen recently doing her training for the 2024 AO campaign in Dubai. Jabeur reached the QF of AO four years ago, can she create history this time?

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