Ons Jabeur

Tunisian trailblazer known as the 'Minister of Happiness' who reached three Grand Slam singles finals and broke ground for Arab and African tennis.

Ons Jabeur became the first Arab player to win a WTA Tour singles title and, in 2022, the first from Africa or the Arab world to reach a Grand Slam final — at Wimbledon, where she lost to Elena Rybakina — establishing a record of firsts that carried the reach of tennis into communities that had rarely seen themselves reflected at the sport's highest level. Jabeur became the first Arab player to win a WTA Tour singles title and to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final, doing so at the 2020 Australian Open, and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 on 27 June 2022, becoming the highest-ranked African or Arab player in either the WTA or ATP rankings. Jabeur enjoyed her finest season in 2022, winning her first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final, and reaching two Grand Slam finals — at Wimbledon, where she lost to Elena Rybakina, and the US Open, where she lost to Iga Świątek — becoming the first African or Arab woman to contest a major singles final. Jabeur has continued to be one of the WTA Tour's most popular and widely admired players, known affectionately by fans as the "Minister of Happiness" for her warmth and good humour, while representing Tunisia and the broader Arab and African tennis communities on the sport's biggest stages.

Jabeur is known for her creative and unpredictable style of play, featuring exceptional variety including drop shots, slices, and angles that often catch opponents off guard. She possesses strong court craft and tactical intelligence, mixing power with finesse effectively.

She has broken barriers as the first Arab woman to reach Grand Slam finals and achieve a top-5 ranking, inspiring a new generation of players from the Middle East and North Africa.

• Reached finals of Wimbledon (2022, 2023) and US Open (2022)
• first Arab/African woman to be ranked in the WTA top 10