Out but not down: Ons Jabeur’s historic Wimbledon run ends

Ons Jabeur is the first Arab woman ever to have reached the Wimbledon women singles' quarter-final.

2 min read

07 July, 2021

Ons Jabeur played Aryna Sabalenka in the Wimbledon women's singles quarter-final on Tuesday [Getty]

Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur lost her Wimbledon quarter-final match on Tuesday, bringing an end to her historic run as the first Arab woman ever to have reached the tournament's last eight.

Jabeur lost in straight sets to Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka, the tournament's number 2 seed. Both women were looking to reach their first-ever Wimbledon semi-final.

The Tunisia-born player addressed her fans on Twitter, thanking them for their support.

Leaving @Wimbledon with the head up and really proud of myself.

Special thanks to my team, to all the people involved and to all my fans around the world! Love you guys 🙏 #TeamOJ pic.twitter.com/tCOmGfO9uq
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) July 6, 2021

Both her run at Wimbledon - in which she beat two Grand Slam champions - and her creative style of play gained her new supporters. Fans said they expected the 26-year-old to bounce back quickly and return to Grand Slam tournaments stronger than ever.

We all proud of you.
You just need to work more, Improve your backhand, Improve your fitness and you will be the grand slam champion in near future.

Good luck Ons
— Muhanad Almoamen (@muhanadrm2014) July 7, 2021

Sabalenka, who will face the tournament's eighth seed Karolina Pliskova in the semi-final, was full of praise for Jabeur.

"It's always tough matches against Ons, she is such a great player and an amazing person, so it's always tough to play against her," Sabalenka said after her victory on Centre Court.