"These injuries don't help": Ons Jabeur breaking out in tears was due to ongoing knee struggles as Abu Dhabi Open run ends

WTA
Sunday, 11 February 2024 at 00:30
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3-times Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur (No.6) suffered a defeat at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open against Beatriz Haddad Maia (No. 14) and broke down in tears during the second set. The Tunisian player is not having a promising start to the year, especially considering her second-round exit at the Australian Open against the formidable Mirra Andreeva (6-0, 6-2).
Following her loss to Haddad Maia, the world No. 6 disclosed that she experienced severe knee pain, hindering her from performing at full physical capacity. This proved costly against a player of Haddad Maia's caliber. "I wasn't feeling 100 percent; unfortunately, my knee still bothers me a bit. Today wasn't to be my day," Jabeur expressed after the match.

Knee struggles overshadow Jabeur's match

Jabeur had a strong debut in the Middle East, defeating the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu (6-4, 6-1). However, against 'Bia' Haddad Maia, knee issues surfaced, impacting her performance:
"I was trying to fight and get through this match, but when you play against someone who plays amazing like Beatriz, it's tough to compete. I tried my best and tried to stay focused and play my game, but unfortunately, I couldn't," Jabeur explained.
Expressing disappointment, Jabeur said, "I'm a bit sad because I was starting to feel my game and feel good, and these injuries don't help. The priority now is to find the solution to try and keep up, and hopefully, I can do it."
"We go way back with the knee; some tournaments it's good, some tournaments it's bad. I've been feeling it for the past week, but today was the worst day. Usually during practice, I try to manage, but during matches, it's a bit tougher," she added.
Jabeur's next challenge awaits at the WTA 1000 Qatar Open, where she is the fourth seed, earning a bye in the first round. Her second-round opponent will be the winner of the match between Lesia Tsurenko (No. 37) and the 21-year-old Zeynep Sonmez (No. 184), who received a wild card from the organizers.

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