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‘I Struggled Back in the Days’ Tunisian Star Ons Jabeur Dishes Out a Saddening Tennis Reality That Prompted Her to Join Forces With Novak Djokovic in His Rebel Tennis Association

Published 09/13/2023, 3:20 AM EDT

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Novak Djokovic previously surprised everyone in the tennis community with the launch of his breakaway players’ association in 2020. It was started with the intention of urging the sport to develop a better system that will aid lower-ranked players in addressing and tackling various roadblocks on the ATP and WTA Tours. In this noble endeavor, the current World No. 1 is accompanied by his Canadian colleague, Vasek Pospisil. Vasek also serves as the co-president of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).

Since it was founded by Djokovic and Pospisil, a number of other well-known tennis players have also joined the ground-breaking organization. The list also includes the Tunisian, Ons Jabeur, who recently disclosed the saddening tennis reality that prompted her to join her male counterparts’ association.

Ons Jabeur gets candid about her decision to join the Novak Djokovic-led organization

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At the start of the season, the 29-year-old was among the few other top players to join the first executive committee of the radical tennis association. Speaking about her decision to join the PTPA, the current World No. 7 brought to light a harsh reality in the tennis community. In a recent interview, Jabeur opened up about how the needs of the lower-ranked players are neglected despite tennis being the 3rd most-watched sport in the world.

She said, “I believe the sport deserves much better. Like Novak said, we’re the 3rd most watched sport in the world & barely a few players can make a living out of this. It doesn’t add up.. when you do the math, it’s unbelievable. I see so many players that struggle like I struggled back in the days. For me, such a beautiful sport watched by a lot of people, there should be a lot more money in it.”

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The Tunisian was adamant about her ambitions, stating that she wanted the top 500 players to receive adequate wages so they wouldn’t have to worry about paying their coaches and physiotherapists. Jabeur just wants the lower-ranked players to enjoy the sport and not be concerned about such off-court issues. But apart from Jabeur, other tennis stars, too, have been leading the cause to revolutionize the needs that are currently being disregarded.

Other top tennis stars are also part of the radical organization

Players from the ATP and WTA Tours are now publicly endorsing the revolutionary group led by the Serb. Even the Aussie tennis star, Nick Kyrgios, who is known for his blunt demeanor, became a part of its members’ board. From the women’s side, the 4-time singles Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka is spearheading the admirable cause of giving back to the tennis community. Just like her male counterparts, the Japanese WTA sensation aims to make a difference for the masses by emphasizing the importance of supporting other players, particularly the lower-ranked ones.

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What do you think of the likes of Jabeur and Osaka leading the fight to support the lower-ranked players? Let us know in the comments section.

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Written by:

Anurag Gusain

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Anurag Gusain is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports. Being a huge tennis fan, he enjoys watching the Spanish legend Rafael Nadal dominate other superstars on the ATP Tour. His coverage of Nadal's 14 French Open titles has been hailed as some of the best in the business, showcasing his talent for storytelling and his ability to capture the essence of the sport.
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Edited by:

Mitali Dey