"Excluding and isolating never brought any change" as Ons Jabeur continues to show backing for Saudi Arabia WTA bid amid criticism

Tunisian tennis trailblazer, Ons Jabeur will return to the Middle East as ever as one of the star attractions over the coming weeks in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai in particular and will even play doubles in the former with Naomi Osaka. As a result, she holds a different viewpoint to those chiming in surrounding the mooted move of the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia.

Jabeur is the first African and Arab woman to contest a Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era and has long blazed a trail not only for the African continent but for the Gulf region also. She has since been joined in the top 100 by Egyptian, Mayar Sherif. This comes amid Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova heavily criticising the WTA Finals bid which has been a simmering topic for a long time on the women's tour.

It has confused players with many not able to answer questioning on how it would affect them due to storied laws against women in the Middle East. But Jabeur has hit back in response to thanking Saudi Arabia ambassador to the US, Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud who slammed the pair for turning their backs on women and told them to get their facts straight. The Tunisian held a similar tone albeit less damning and said that change is only possible when embracing others and not heralding division. It remains to be seen though whether the Saudi bid will be successful with Charlotte, NC mooted as a bidder from 2027 onwards.

"Change is only possible when embracing different perspectives and being inclusive. Excluding and isolating never brought any change but has only created division. As a fervent ambassador of women's sports, I can only salute and support Saudi's efforts to shed light on women's sports and creating fantastic opportunities for everyone," said Jabeur.