Tunisia isn’t known for its high-level tennis stars on the women’s side of the game. In fact, the Arab region of the world is lacking top-class female players and role models when it comes to most sports. Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur aims to change that. The 25-year-old tennis player made history in February as the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. Jabeur will be at the Miami Open, which will see some of the best players in both men’s and women’s tennis take to the courts of south Florida. Fans can read the Bet365 review by Nostrabet ahead of betting on the matches in Miami and get the latest bet bonuses and tips.
Jabeur’s play at the Australian Open didn’t just turn heads in her homeland. Plenty of tennis fans took notice of her performances especially after defeating former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Jabeur would ultimately lose to eventual Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals.
The Tunisian’s wins in Melbourne shot her up the women’s world rankings making her the first Arab player to ever reach the top 50. The world No. 44 now hopes to inspire other Arab females to fulfill their dreams of playing professional sports.
Inspiring a nation
Jabeur isn’t just inspiring females in Tunisia to play tennis and reach for the stars. She is inspiring an entire nation that is now following her exploits on the tennis court. While Jabeur was winning in Melbourne, she was being watched by millions of people back in Tunisia.
With the country’s lack of high-quality tennis stars over the years and female athletes, Tunisia isn’t a country well versed in women’s sport. Tunisia is a country more focused on men’s soccer than it is on tennis. Jabeur has helped to change the country’s outlook on tennis, at least, for now.
Jabeur continued her strong form in the follow-up to the Australian Open. She again reached the quarterfinals of a tournament, this time in Doha at the Qatar Open. The accomplishment wouldn’t have gone unnoticed in a fellow Arab nation.
Can she win a Grand Slam?
Her loss in the Qatar Open quarterfinals will do nothing to harm the growing reputation she is enjoying. Jabeur fell to two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova. It was a tricky match that saw Kvitova squeeze past Jabeur in straight sets 7-6(2) and 7-6(4).
Reaching the quarterfinals of a WTP tournament and winning a Grand Slam are two different things in the tennis world. Jabeur is on the right path but has a long way to go to win one of the four big tournaments on the calendar. That isn’t to say the 25-year-old cannot win a Grand Slam in the near future.
Jabeur has a full slate of tournaments to compete in this spring. March will see her play in two of the biggest non-Grand Slams, the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open. Both will give her the chance to continue improving on results.
Tunisia is now fully invested in the No. 44 ranked player in the world. With her country behind her, Jabeur could achieve what no other Arab player has before–winning a Grand Slam.
