Mexico (Web Desk): After securing a straight-sets victory over Marketa Vondrousova during the ongoing WTA Finals in Mexico, Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur experienced an emotional moment as she remembered the martyrs of Gaza.
Jabeur had previously avenged her Wimbledon 2023 final defeat against Vondrousova, triumphing with a score of 6-4, 6-3. Her next opponent in the tournament is Iga Swiatek. However, despite her victory, the 31-year-old athlete, often referred to as Tunisia’s unofficial “Minister of Happiness,” was not in celebratory spirits. Instead, she became emotional when sharing her thoughts on the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.
Following her match, Jabeur expressed her sadness about the current crisis and was moved to tears. She commented, “It’s very tough seeing children, babies dying every day.”
She continued, “I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening. I’m sorry, 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.”
Jabeur admitted that she has been having trouble sleeping due to the distressing images from the war in Gaza. She explained, “I try to stay off social media as much as I can, but it’s very tough. You go through horrible photos and videos every day – it doesn’t let me sleep or recover very well. The worst thing is I feel hopeless, I feel like I cannot do anything.”
The tennis star also shared how she has been deeply affected by witnessing the suffering in Palestine, particularly the deaths of children, women, and people every day. She expressed her wish to find a way to bring an end to the conflict and achieve peace for everyone.
Furthermore, Jabeur announced her intention to donate a portion of her tournament earnings to aid the victims in Gaza. It’s worth noting that Israeli bombardments have tragically claimed the lives of at least 8,796 people, including 3,648 children and 2,290 women.
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