LONDON — Ons Jabeur, who has twice finished as runner-up at Wimbledon, was forced to retire from her first-round match on Monday due to breathing difficulties, marking another setback in an already challenging season.
The 30-year-old tennis player from Tunisia ended her match against Viktoriya Tomova while trailing 7-6 (5), 2-0. During the first set, Jabeur called for a medical timeout, during which she was attended to by a trainer. At one point, she was visibly upset, sitting on her chair with tears soaking into a towel.
“I didn’t anticipate feeling unwell,” Jabeur commented afterwards. “I’ve been training well in recent days. But I suppose these things happen. I’m very disappointed. This situation isn’t boosting my confidence, especially as I’ve been striving hard despite having a tough season. I hope to recover soon.”
Jabeur reached the Wimbledon finals twice, in 2022 and 2023, where she was defeated by Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova respectively. She also played in the 2022 U.S. Open final but lost to Iga Swiatek.
Her 2024 season was cut short by a shoulder injury, and this year she has been troubled by ongoing leg issues. Such setbacks have affected her performance and continue to challenge her resilience on the court.