‘Ons is a billion, ‘ as they say! The Tunisian tennis star has seen a lot of it in the past few years, from being called the ‘Minister of Happiness’ to being labeled as a “terrorist,” but that didn’t deter her from doing what she loves: bringing smiles to the faces of people around the world. Jabeur became the goodwill ambassador for the UN World Food Programme in February 2024. Speaking about her mission with this, she once said, “We are in 2025 right now and we’re still having hunger issues, which it shouldn’t be if we were more united and human with each other. I feel it’s every person’s right to have at least one meal a day.” But having said that, little did she know that her efforts to try to help civilians in Gaza amidst the ongoing Israel-Palestinian war, who receive so much hate. What did Jabeur have to say about all these criticisms?

On April 25 this year, the UN World Food Program (WFP) announced that it had run out of food stock in Gaza, due to several blockages of the humanitarian aid into the enclave from Israel. Hence, the people of that region have been facing a serious level of starvation. Highlighting all of these during an interview with WTA ahead of the Italian Open, Ons Jabeur said, “They’re (WFP) doing an amazing job. They’re trying to push and push, but unfortunately, when you close the border and try to starve kids and a lot of other people to death, that’s very inhuman. We are in 2025, and I can’t believe this is happening.“

Seeing the images of the suffering of the people of Gaza in her news feed, she claimed that she felt “very limited” in terms of her ability to help. Narrating an incident during the interview, the Tunisian tennis star said, “One of the guys [in Palestine] was asking, ‘Are we human?’ To even ask that question means you are living in hell. I know the WFP is pushing to get food there even though a lot of workers got killed. They’re doing voluntary work. It’s a terrible world right now, and I don’t know how people are thinking.” She admitted that she was deeply affected emotionally after seeing all these sufferings. But her pro-Palestine voices have received a lot of unwanted hate!

“I’ve been called a terrorist so many times. I don’t know how that’s even related. I’m trying to help people, and especially kids, who are starving.” However, despite all these, Ons Jabeur wants to keep on using her platform for a good cause. Talking about serving humanity, in 2023, Jabeur announced that she’d donate a portion of her GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun prize money to Palestinian aid. 

She got a bit emotional while saying, “It’s very tough seeing children, babies dying every day. It’s heartbreaking. So I’ve decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians. I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening. I’m sorry guys, [I know] it’s supposed to be about tennis, but it’s very frustrating looking at videos every day. I’m sorry, it’s not a political message. It’s just humanity. I want peace in this world and that’s it…I wish I can have a magic hand and just end all this and just peace for everybody.” Ons Jabeur is more than a tennis star. She has not only put Tunisia on the map of the tennis world, but her constant efforts to bring a smile to the faces of the people are truly inspirational. ‘Minister of Happiness’? Rightly said!

Ons Jabeur shares her thoughts on being called the ‘Minister of Happiness’

Only a few players wear their hearts on their sleeves as much as Ons Jabeur. Her nickname is a reflection of her bright personality and her ability to inspire joy and hope, especially among her fans in Tunisia, Africa, and the Arab world. She’s a true inspiration. But does this add a bit of burden to her shoulders? Well, during an interview in 2022, Jabeur said, “I see myself like I’m on a mission. I tell myself I chose to do this. I chose to inspire people. I chose to be the person that I am. I want to share my experience one day and really get more and more generations here.“

She claims, “So I don’t see it as a burden, I see it as a great pleasure and great responsibility. It’s part of the job, it’s part of why I am playing today. And I do believe in sharing. Sharing could help me, help me as a player, and help the other generations.” But does being the ‘Minister of Happiness’ mean she’s happy all the time?

Earlier this year, Jabeur gave an interview, where she revealed, “Everybody calls me the Minister of Happiness, sees me happy all the time, but I’m not happy all the time. There are some moments there, anger, sadness. You can see on the court, I get angry a lot. It’s a mix of a lot of things. But I try to highlight that happiness is the best emotion anybody could feel. It’s very important to remind myself of such a beautiful emotion.“

Talking about highlighting her happiness and spreading it around her, recently, Ons Jabeur made the day for one of her fans by making her dream come true. She met that Italian girl and handed her a T-shirt with her autograph on it. Amid all these, Jabeur got a walkover in her first match at the Italian Open, as Petra Kvitova gave her a walkover due to her right lower leg injury. Hence, Jabeur will now take on Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the R32. Can Jabeur upset the home favorite and bring some more smiles to the faces of her fans?