At 31, many women tennis players start thinking about retirement, especially when their form drops and their body or mind feels tired. For the last two years, Ons Jabeur has faced both: she’s struggled on court and even said she wasn’t feeling happy playing anymore. But the former World No. 2 and two-time Wimbledon finalist isn’t ready to call it quits just yet.

Four months after taking a break from tennis, Ons Jabeur has made it clear she’s not retiring. The Tunisian star still believes she has more to give to the game she loves. Recently, Jabeur spoke to UAE news outlet The National, confirming that she intended to continue. When asked about retirement, Jabeur replied, “I’m not retiring like most of the people think. I’ll be coming back someday.”

Though she didn’t give an exact timeline for her return, Jabeur did add, “When my mind and body tell me you’re ready, you want to come back, then I will come back.” This statement comes off the back of a tough period in Jabeur’s career, both physically and emotionally, where she hasn’t played a professional match since her first-round Wimbledon exit in June.

As she grappled with the choice to step away and heal, Jabeur was faced with confronting another side to her. Me, someone that basically smiles all the time to take a decision like that and feel broken and sad was kind of like…oh, wow. We didn’t think Ons would feel that way…but like basically I’m a human being; I can feel that way,” she confessed.

Physically, the three-time Grand Slam finalist has also had her share of struggles, battling a calf injury in March 2025 and a shoulder issue in 2024, along with other injury setbacks.

For the past two years, she admitted, “I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges… But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now.” Her honesty showed how heavy the pressure can get, but it also hinted at a possible turning point.

But when she finally does return, Ons Jabeur intends to carefully manage her schedule and patiently regain the form that nearly brought her to tennis glory. Because burnout is becoming more common in professional sports, especially in tennis, which has a grueling 11-month season and very little rest time. Jabeur admits the pressure to keep playing is high from sponsors, teams, and everyone around her, but she’s determined to do things differently.

She vowed that when she steps back on court, she won’t compromise her well-being just to compete. After all, the cracks didn’t appear overnight; they began back in 2023, when her body first whispered what her mind refused to hear.

Ons Jabeur refuses to fade

Dark clouds started looming over ex-Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur’s career in 2024. A recurring knee injury led to surgery. As she announced on social media, “Due to my ongoing shoulder injury, my medical team and I have made the difficult decision to step off the tennis circuit for the rest of the season.” And soon after, a stubborn shoulder problem forced her to miss major tournaments, including the US Open. She later admitted, “This year has been extremely hard for me… recovery is part of the journey.”

Finally, in July 2025, three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur decided to pause her career after the loss at Wimbledon to Viktoriya Tomova. Her announcement noted recurring injuries (including shrink-backs to the calf issue) and breathing problems (she has asthma) as key factors behind the decision.

The Tunisian star said at the time, “Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now I feel it is time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal and to rediscover the joy of simply living.” Jabeur, who is married to Karim Kamoun, a former fencer, has made no secret of her desire to have children.

Four months later, her sabbatical has had the exact kind of rejuvenating effect she’d hoped for. “My break is going well. I’m discovering life a little bit outside tennis,” Jabeur told The National. “I’ve been busy with different things, the foundation, the academy. I’m trying to maybe launch new projects as well, so it’s been fun.”

“For me, the most important thing is that I’m gonna go there, I’m gonna try, I’m gonna be happier on the court, and if it happens, then I know I have tried everything in my power to achieve that. I took a break, I took care of myself, I trained hard to come back, and then I’m playing tournaments. If after that it doesn’t happen, then I guess it’s not meant to be,” she added.

Though she may not have trained much or picked up a racket and has no fixed date for return, Ons Jabeur knows that time will come. And when it does, she will be armed with the perspective and insights she gained when away.