It’s been almost four months since Tunisian star Ons Jabeur shared a heartfelt message on social media announcing she was taking an indefinite break from professional tennis.
She revealed she had been struggling physically and mentally for the past two years, and wasn’t feeling happy on the tennis court.
“I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living,” wrote the former world No 2.
This week Jabeur is back at a tennis tournament, not as a competing player, but as an ambassador for the WTA Finals in Riyadh. It is her first appearance on tour since she retired with breathing difficulties from her Wimbledon first round in July, and the smile is already back on the face of Tunisia’s Minister of Happiness.
“My break is going well. I’m discovering life a little bit outside tennis,” Jabeur told The National at the practice courts in Riyadh, where many of her peers were busy training for their matches. “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.”
The 31-year-old admits her first few weeks off were “a little bit weird”, as she suddenly found herself waking up to no specific schedule. “When your body is used to like six hours, seven hours of training a day and then you just suddenly don’t do anything and mostly just eat and go to the beach and relax, I was like, ‘What am I doing? What is this?’
“But then after I got more creative, more active, doing more stuff and definitely my favourite part was spending a lot of time with my family.”
Besides spending quality time with her family, Jabeur took the opportunity to work on projects dear to her heart, like launching her own foundation, and working on creating her new academy, which will officially open its doors in Dubai later this month.
But before delving deeper into her current endeavours, it was important to discuss how Jabeur reached the point of needing to take a break from the sport that she loves.
Was it difficult finding “the joy of simply living” while competing on the tennis tour?
“For me personally, yes,” responds Jabeur. “My life since I was six years old was always focused on my training, my tournaments, tennis, and I didn’t feel like I, even though I did things outside tennis, it was always either tennis related or if I want to go on vacation, you always need to count the days because you don’t want to miss training. You want to go back on time.
“I wasn’t ever free from tennis. Trying to find something that makes me happy outside tennis was difficult and given the very tough two years that I had, it wasn’t easy.
“The happy place, the place where I find my joy suddenly became my sadness and basically became the place that gave me depression. And I was kind of scared, and I was thinking like, ‘What if I never find joy on the tennis court ever again?’
“But I don’t think that will be the case. And I’m not retiring like most of the people think, I’ll be coming back someday.”
Someday – Jabeur doesn’t want to put a timeline on her return to competitive tennis, but she knows she will be back. She hasn’t picked up a racquet since she announced her break – except for once during a kids’ clinic – and says she misses it, but not enough to go and actually have a proper hit.
“I just want to enjoy and when my mind and body tell me you’re ready, you want to come back, then I will come back,” she declared.
Jabeur is a popular figure on the tennis circuit, which was evident from the scores of players, coaches, physios, tournament staff, WTA personnel, photographers and journalists, who all clamoured to greet her when she showed up at King Saud University Indoor Arena in Riyadh on Monday.
It is that same community that reached out to her when she announced her hiatus four months ago. “I feel like there were two reactions [to my message]. The supportive one, which I honestly never expected that people would send so much love to me, from different players, to my sponsors, to my family, to people that know me and understood,” she said.
“Always, when you skip something [a tournament] and decide to put yourself first, people would think you’re selfish and you don’t deserve that. But I got so much love and a lot of members also from the mental health [community] that they reached out to tell me that was a great decision and because they can see I was suffering.”
The second type of reaction she got was from players who felt that her words describing her mental state truly resonated with them.
“Basically, other players seeing themselves in what I was feeling,” she added. “And I felt like I was not only helping myself in this, but I was helping them as well. For 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’. I was like, ‘Yeah, basically I’m a human being’.
“I can feel that way, but maybe I’m the least person that would go in and feel that. So that was also a bonus that I had to just talk about it and help other people, you know?”
Burnout is becoming more and more prevalent in professional sport, particularly in tennis, which has a grueling 11-month season with limited opportunities for rest. Jabeur doesn’t have a clear answer when she’s asked if burnout is inevitable in tennis’ current structure but she acknowledges the pressure to keep playing can be incredibly high from sponsors, entourage, and other sources.
She vows that when she returns to the tour, she will not compromise her own well-being for the sake of competing.
“I feel I want to choose my tournaments. I want to make the schedule adapt to me, not me adapting to the schedule,” she said. “I will honestly try to speak up more and get the tennis community to treat us better as players, to treat us more as human beings than robots that play tennis, tennis, tennis all the time.
“This is a very beautiful sport and we need to be smart about it. And I just want to be myself on the court. I don’t want to feel the stress. I felt so good for the last two, three months that I’m not stressed.”
Instead of living the stress of the tennis tour, Jabeur shifted her focus to launching her foundation and her academy.
One of the first projects she is tackling through her foundation is rebuilding the tennis court at her old primary school, which has been destroyed, and creating a space for kids to do different sports, not just tennis.
“I want to live a meaningful life, not just breathe and eat and just do nothing on the side. I want to give the chance to the kids to dream big, to only worry about working and not worry about the money or the facilities or whatever,” she says.
“I want to do more. I want to sign a contract with different ministries in Tunisia to try to help the community as much as we can.”
The Ons Jabeur Academy is another way the three-time grand slam finalist hopes to affect change and make a difference.
Set to open at HCT – Academy City Campus in Dubai before the end of the month, Jabeur’s tennis academy has been a dream of hers since she was a little girl, before she even fully understood what the word ‘academy’ meant.
Jabeur wants to create a place with a family-like atmosphere, and wants to build a system that values individuality, one that can be tailored for each kid, based on their own set of skills, without imposing a specific playing style on them. She plans on being present as much as she can at the academy.
“Maybe it’s a way for me to find the joy again on the court, because seeing the innocence of the kids, there’s nothing better than that,” she said. “Maybe it will make me remember when I was younger, how I was having fun. I want to share this with the kids. I want to be there. I want to train there with them and see how it goes.”
While she hasn’t set a return date yet, Jabeur believes when she does eventually come back to the tennis tour, she can recapture the form that helped her reach two Wimbledon finals and become the highest-ranked African woman in tennis history.
“I think the belief is there, but I think what changed is, even if I don’t [get back to where I was], I won’t put that much pressure on myself,” she explained.
“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.”
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
WEST ASIA RUGBY 2017/18 SEASON ROLL OF HONOUR
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7%22%20Super%20Retina%20XDR%20OLED%2C%202796%20x%201290%2C%20460ppi%2C%20120Hz%2C%202000%20nits%20max%2C%20HDR%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%2C%20always-on%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20A16%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%205-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%20%2F%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iOS%2016%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Triple%2048MP%20main%20(f%2F1.78)%20%2B%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20(f%2F2.2)%20%2B%2012MP%20telephoto%20(f%2F2.8)%2C%206x%20optical%2C%2015x%20digital%2C%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%2C%20Portrait%20Lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20HD%20%40%2030fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%2C%20ProRes%20(4K)%20%40%2030fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20TrueDepth%20(f%2F1.9)%2C%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%2C%20Portrait%20Lighting%3B%20Animoji%2C%20Memoji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A04K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%2C%20ProRes%20(4K)%20%40%2030fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204323mAh%2C%20up%20to%2029h%20video%2C%2025h%20streaming%20video%2C%2095h%20audio%3B%20fast%20charge%20to%2050%25%20in%2030min%3B%20MagSafe%2C%20Qi%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Face%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lightning%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP68%2C%20dust%2Fsplash%2Fwater%20resistant%20up%20to%206m%20up%20to%2030min%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20eSIM%20%2F%20eSIM%20%2B%20eSIM%20(US%20models%20use%20eSIMs%20only)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Deep%20purple%2C%20gold%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iPhone%2014%20Pro%20Max%2C%20USB-C-to-Lightning%20cable%2C%20one%20Apple%20sticker%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh4%2C699%20%2F%20Dh5%2C099%20%2F%20Dh5%2C949%20%2F%20Dh6%2C799%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tamkeen’s offering
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsWorld Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
ABU%20DHABI’S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023’s%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
‘Morbius’
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
German intelligence warnings
2002: “Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] … discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes.” Supporters in Germany: 800
2013: “Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel … Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity.” Supporters in Germany: 950
2023: “It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests.” Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41′)
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20′)
Rodri (30′)
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.