Ons Jabeur, the former No. 2 women's singles player, has announced an extended break from tennis. Jabeur, who held the No. 2 ranking in 2022, shared the news on Instagram, expressing her unhappiness with her recent performances on the court. A two-time Wimbledon finalist in 2022 and 2023, Jabeur also reached the final of the US Open in 2022. However, since the high of reaching the Wimbledon final, her performance has declined. At the 2024 French Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to Markéta Vondroušová.

“For the past two years, I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges. But deep down, I haven't truly felt happy on the court for some time now,” said Jabeur, who hails from Tunisia.

She hopes to rediscover her game during this break. “Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it's time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living. Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always.”

“Even while I'm away from the court, I'll continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all,” she added.

Jabeur has struggled at Grand Slam events since reaching the quarterfinals at the 2024 French Open. She failed to progress past the third round at any other Grand Slam event in both 2024 and 2025. Due to these early exits, Jabeur’s ranking dropped to No. 71 prior to Thursday’s announcement.

Jabeur may follow the path of Amanda Anisimova, who took a similar mental health break from the sport in 2023 before reaching the Wimbledon final less than two years later. However, it remains unclear how long Jabeur will take to make her comeback.