Ons Jabeur withdraws hours after her qualification into the quarter-finals in Zhengzhou due to a knee injury

Jabeur will be seen competing at the WTA Finals later this month.

Ons Jabeur withdraws hours after her qualification into the quarter-finals in Zhengzhou due to a knee injury

Ons Jabeur (Image: WTA)

Ons Jabeur recently took to social media to announce her withdrawal from the WTA 125 tournament in Zhengzhou. The official account for the Zhengzhou Open posted a video clip on their handle on X, which featured the Tunisian as she broke the news online.

Fourth seed Ons Jabeur clashed with Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in her Round of 16 match at the ongoing WTA event in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou. In a thrilling encounter that lasted two sets, the former World No.2 demolished Bronzetti over two sets with a 6-3, 7-6 score. In an on-court interview post her match win, Jabeur revealed that she was struggling with her knee.

YouTube video

In the video @ZhengzhouOpen posted on their handle on X, Jabeur revealed her decision to withdraw from the tournament. The 29-year-old apologized to her fans as she revealed she was facing issues with her knee. She further stated that she loved her time in the city. The Tunisian concluded her address, thanking fans for rooting for her as she expressed her desire to return to play the tournament the following year.

Earlier yesterday, Jabeur had revealed in an on-court interview, post her match win, that it was tough for her to finish the match in two sets. “It was a tough finish. She’s a great player, such a fighter. I’m glad I finished in 2. It would’ve been a different story if it was 3 sets,” the Tunisian stated. “We learned a lot from this match and hopefully all the best for the future…I tried to do my best until the end of the season,” she added.

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Ons Jabeur to play at the WTA Finals?

The WTA Finals will feature the eight best players of the year who will be competing for the championship. The tournament is set to begin in the city of Cancun in Mexico later this month. Three spots were left to be confirmed by the event, but after the Beijing quarterfinals, the top players were sealed. Jabeur has qualified for the event for the second consecutive time.

Ons Jabeur
Ons Jabeur (Image via: Sportsnet)

A Grand Slam is yet to be won by the Tunisian, but she sealed the spot by winning events like the Charleston Open and, more recently, the Ningbo Open. Many suspect her qualification in the WTA Finals to be one of the reasons for Jabeur to quit the ongoing event in Zhengzhou. At the season-end Finals, Jabeur will be seen competing for the title with seven other top players.

The top three seeds, Aryna Sabalenka and former World No.1, Iga Swiatek, will be seen at the event alongside Jabeur. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, the ultimate American doubles partners, are the other two to qualify. Elena Rybakina is the fifth person to qualify despite facing several injuries and issues with her health this season.

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