"I'm sorry, it's not a political message, it's just humanity": Ons Jabeur to donate part of WTA Finals prize money to Palestinians
WTAThursday, 02 November 2023 at 09:45
Ons Jabeur broke down in tears during her press conference as she revealed that she will donate part of her WTA Finals prize money to Palestine.
Jabeur who avenged her Wimbledon final loss to Marketa Vondrousova said that while she was pleased with the win, the situation in the world doesn't make her happy as she had to hold onto the net before composing herself to speak.
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The only Arabic woman to reach a Grand Slam final, Jabeur said that she should be happy with the win. But there are bigger factors at play.
This is despite Jabeur in particular being reported for a potential sanction by the Israeli Tennis Federation for posting support for Palestine.
"I am very happy with the win, but I haven't been happy lately," she said.
"The situation in the world doesn't make me happy," Jabeur added as she broke down in tears.
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"It's very tough seeing children, babies dying every day," she said.
"It's heartbreaking, so I've decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians.
"I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening. I'm sorry guys, it's supposed to be about tennis, but it's very frustrating looking at videos every day.
"I'm sorry -- it's not a political message, it's just humanity. I want peace in this world and that's it."
"I try to stay off social media as much as I can, but it's very tough," Jabeur added.
"You go through videos, photos, they're horrible, horrible photos every day. It doesn't help me sleep or recover very well and the worst thing is I feel hopeless.
"Maybe donating some money would help a little bit with what they have been going through. But I know money doesn't mean anything right now to them. So I wish freedom for everybody and really peace for everyone."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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