The
Tunisian Tennis Federation has informed that
Ons Jabeur and
Venus Williams are
likely not to play doubles at the
Jasmin Open Monastir .
A few days
ago, the list of tennis players participating in the WTA 250 Monastir Open in
both singles and doubles was confirmed. It was surprising to see a partnership
between Venus Williams and Ons Jabeur among the participants.
Both of
them haven't competed in doubles since last year, with the curiosity that they
were the last to play together with Serena Williams in 2022 before her
retirement.
During the
preparation of the 23-times Grand Slam champion for her last tournaments, she
paired up with the Tunisian, reaching the semifinals of the Eastbourne Open a
week before Wimbledon, but they withdrew from the tournament for physical
precaution ahead of the Grand Slam.
Venus, on
the other hand, played with her sister at the 2022 US Open, marking Serena's
career closure, but they were eliminated in the first round. As announced by
the Jasmin Open organization a few days ago, both of them would be in the
tournament.
“The
countdown has officially started for Jasmin Open in Monastir (250 points) from
October 14 to 22, Ons Jabeur & Venus Williams will be with us.”
Now that
the main draw has been finalized, the doubles pairing of the Tunisian and the
American does not appear, so it's unlikely that they will participate. Although
neither of the tennis players has commented on this, it's worth noting Jabeur's
tight schedule, as she is currently at the Zhengzhou Open and will play her
first match on October 11, considering that everything starts in Monastir on
October 16.
Additionally,
Jabeur has qualified for the WTA Finals, being the eighth player in the Race to
qualify for the tournament. The Finals, which conclude the 2023 season, begin
on October 29 and will have a round-robin format, guaranteeing each player
three matches, and in case they reach the final, it could be five.