Arab tennis hero Ons Jabeur plans to bounce back in 2025

Last year was not one that Tunisian tennis superstar Ons Jabeur will remember with great fondness. (AFP)
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Updated 12 January 2025
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Arab tennis hero Ons Jabeur plans to bounce back in 2025

  • After a year beset by injuries, the Tunisian star tells Arab News she is confident of hitting the heights again

DUBAI: Last year was not one that Tunisian tennis superstar Ons Jabeur will remember with great fondness.

Having enthralled fans with her unique brand of tennis in the two previous years, reaching two Wimbledon finals and hitting the world No.2 ranking, 2024 was beset by injuries and disruptions.

As Jabeur prepares to launch her Australian Open campaign against Anhelina Kalinina of the Ukraine, she is determined to get back to the form that her army of supporters had come to expect of her.

“I’m feeling much better, happy to be back,” she told Arab News. “I feel like I’m playing good, I’m getting back into the game. I feel very motivated and definitely very positive. I can continue playing even better and the good news is there are a lot of great things to improve.”

Since landing in Australia at the start of the year, Jabeur has taken part in the Brisbane International, where she reached the quarterfinals, as well as the Adelaide International. Improving her form, and not her current WTA world ranking of 39, is the priority.

“I feel like ranking maybe would be a bit irrelevant in this case because if I focus a lot on it, I might kind of not see the level that I was in (before). I was in the top 10 for a good time and I think I need to always remember that I have that level to be one of the great players in the world.

“I always say the most important thing is that I should have the level and the ranking will follow up no matter how much time it will take.

“It is very important for me to get back to my game, and definitely improve a lot of points in my game. That would help me be a better player, especially, playing against these unbelievable players, they’re improving all the time and tennis is improving all the time. And I think it is really important for me to keep up with that game.”

Despite a tough year, Jabeur is now looking forward to mixing it with the next generation of players, for whom she has plenty of praise.

“It’s very impressive. A lot of things are growing very fast, (there are) a lot of unbelievable players,” she said.  “You can see the level is super close between different players and it’s definitely an honor for me to be part of this generation, they are younger than me, but playing at the same time, it’s great to see that.

“It’s definitely motivating to get back on to the court and try to impose my game, because I know my game is a bit different than any other player and the challenge is kind of exciting.”

The Arab tennis hero is confident that she can return to the form she showed in 2022 and 2023.

“Definitely, yes. I think it’s a matter of time, a matter of motivation, and how mentally I feel about it because I always say if you’re mentally ready, and if in your head you’re ready, you can achieve anything. I think your body will follow and everything will follow.

“Now I think I have more experience than in 2022, which is a bonus I could use. But I’m definitely ready to get back into the game, to fight hard and leave everything on the court.”

Aside from her personal targets on court, Jabeur continues to be an inspiration for young Arab tennis talent, Both female and male.

“Of course, it’s one of my goals,” she said. “One of my dreams is to see our players playing on tour. I think we have the talent, I think we have so many motivated players to play on tour and I can say nothing is impossible.

“Just training from Tunisia, I discovered a lot of things and like I said, I’m happy to share my experience and … one day when I’m 100 percent focused, on maybe giving back more. That’s something I really want to do, and I think our region deserves to have more and more champions at international level.”

Saudi Arabia recently awarded citizenship to 15-year-old French tennis player Maysan Hussein, who is of Tunisian origin, and Jabeur believes such moves can help more players get a platform to realise their potential.

“I know Maysan, I met her and met her father, very nice people. Every player deserves the support, deserves to be there, deserves to not think about how much everything will cost. They just need to focus on their training and doing their best. And what Saudi and other countries are doing is really great and I hope they can help her and they can set a good program for her. I wish her well.”

 


Chelsea's Club World Cup travel plan derailed by group-stage slip-up

Updated 7 sec ago
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Chelsea's Club World Cup travel plan derailed by group-stage slip-up

Chelsea will now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium
The detour means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice

MIAMI: Chelsea are facing a logistical headache at the Club World Cup after finishing second in their group, forcing an unexpected trip to Charlotte for their last 16 match instead of staying in Miami, where the club thought they would be based for the knockout stage.

A club source told Reuters that travel, accommodation and training arrangements were all made with the assumption that the West Londoners would top Group D and play their round of 16 match at Hard Rock Stadium.

Instead, after a 3-1 loss to Brazil's Flamengo and only managing second place despite a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in their final group stage fixture in Philadelphia, Chelsea will now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium.

The detour means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice, but the club still intends to return to its Miami base after the match, adding more miles to an already hectic itinerary.

If Enzo Maresca's side reach the quarter-finals, they will return to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the winner of the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo.

Norris maintains upper hand on Piastri in Austrian GP practice

Updated 55 min 53 sec ago
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Norris maintains upper hand on Piastri in Austrian GP practice

  • Russell, seen by many as vulnerable at Mercedes if Verstappen arrived, was third ahead of Piastri
  • Verstappen also pitted with his car’s floor receiving attention

SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD, Austria: Lando Norris continued his pace-setting dominance in free practice at the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday by outpacing Australian McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to set the fastest lap.

The Briton, who is seeking to erase memories of his nightmare in Montreal where he collided with the championship leading Piastri, clocked a best lap of one minute and 4.324 seconds.

Piastri was 0.118 seconds off the pace.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

“In these temperatures, the McLarens at high speed are going to be very difficult to match,” admitted Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Wolff again confirmed interest in Verstappen, but added Russell, victorious in Canada two weeks ago, had been “splendid” and “has done a great job this year.”

Norris, fastest on Friday, was soon in command with a 1min 5.412sec lap and by the midway mark he had trimmed that to 1min 4.888sec with Hamilton second, three-tenths adrift.

Russell, seen by many as vulnerable at Mercedes if Verstappen arrived, was third ahead of Piastri.

With 20 minutes remaining, Piastri pushed with too much speed into Turn Nine and swept through the gravel, a moment that required a visit to the pits.

Verstappen — whose ‘orange army’ of supporters boosted the size of the crowd — also pitted with his car’s floor receiving attention.

He was 11th on the time-screens as Norris improved his best lap to 1:04.324, a five-tenths cut to go seven-tenths clear.

With 10 minutes to go, Piastri found the pace to go second, 0.118 behind Norris before Verstappen went third ousting Leclerc to fourth ahead of Hamilton.


Baniyas impress on opening day of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Updated 28 June 2025
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Baniyas impress on opening day of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship

  • Al-Jazira in second place, MOD UAE third

ABU DHABI: Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club seized an early lead on the first day of the fourth round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which was held on Friday at Zayed Sports City’s Mubadala Arena.

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation-organized event drew strong competition from local clubs, with competitors across youth, adult, and master divisions. Al-Jazira claimed second place, while MOD UAE rounded out the top three.

Yousef Abdullah Al-Batran, board member of the UAEJJF, praised the generosity of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, in doubling the championship’s prize money.

He said the move reflected the UAE leadership’s commitment to the development of top-level sports, especially jiu-jitsu, which has become the country’s national sport.

Al-Batran said: “The fourth round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is especially important. It marks a key moment in the competition and gives us a chance to evaluate club performances and how well the athletes are prepared to continue their success in the upcoming stages.”

Jasem Al-Marzooqi, the CEO of the Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center, who was attending the event, affirmed that the strong organization of the event reflected the UAE’s ambition to position itself as a leading global sports destination.

He said: “The championship is progressing with every round. Both the technical and organizational levels show how successful the overall system is, giving athletes the ideal environment to grow and excel.”

Igor Lacerda, the coach of the Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club’s youth team, said: “This round once again confirms the incredible progress the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is making across the board. It gave us as coaches extra motivation.

“We focused our preparations on the mental and tactical aspects, and we are working to make the best use of our athletes’ capabilities. From the start of the season our goal has been clear: to strongly compete for the title. We believe this path requires consistent performance and discipline.”

Bouchaib El-Idrissi of Morocco, who was representing Baniyas, took gold in the men’s masters’ brown/black belt 62 kg division, and said: “This achievement means a lot to me, especially since I faced an opponent in the final who was 20 years younger.

“This championship is a unique platform for athletes of all ages to showcase their talent and chase their goals. I sincerely thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the organizers for the tremendous effort they put into delivering such a professional event and creating a competitive environment that matches our ambitions and pushes us to give our best.”


4Aces, inspired by Reed and Warner, top both leaderboards at LIV Golf Dallas

Updated 28 June 2025
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4Aces, inspired by Reed and Warner, top both leaderboards at LIV Golf Dallas

  • Both players shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club, emerge as co-leaders on individual leaderboard

CARROLLTON: Teammates Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III fed off each other to lead the way during Friday’s first round of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.

They will hope to do the same on Saturday.

Reed and Varner each shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club to emerge as co-leaders on the individual leaderboard, while also helping the 4Aces to a commanding advantage in the team competition.

It was a dominating day for the 4Aces, with captain Dustin Johnson contributing a 2-under 70 that included chip-ins for a birdie and an eagle on his first two holes. It was the kind of performance reminiscent of the 4Aces’ dominance during the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf season when they won four consecutive regular-season tournaments, then claimed the season-ending Team Championship.

The 4Aces won twice in 2023 but nothing since, and their only individual win was Johnson’s victory last year. Friday’s fast start presents an opportunity to reinforce their status as one of the league’s big dogs.

At 9-under as a team, they are six shots ahead of Crushers GC, who have won the last two tournaments and have the hometown support with captain Bryson DeChambeau being a local resident. The Crushers were the only team on Friday in which all four players shot par or better.

“The biggest thing is to keep the throttle down,” said Reed, among the league’s best players without a LIV Golf win. “Even though we have a lead now, (we will) start tomorrow as if everyone is even par and try to go win the day as a team and build on the lead.”

On a course that became more difficult throughout the day, Varner had the only bogey-free round through 17 holes. Although his tee shot on his last hole, the par-4 ninth, left him with an awkward lie, he managed to find the green — but then three-putted for the only blemish on his card. Even so, it was his best round, relative to par, this season.

“I’ve been hitting it unbelievably this whole year and I just happened to make a couple of putts today,” said Varner, who has six top-20 finishes this year. “I don’t think there’s like a genie in a bottle or anything like that but I felt like I was going to play well.”

Reed’s round was highlighted by a chip-in eagle at the par-5 second, allowing him to keep up with Varner in a threesome that also included teammate from 4Aces Thomas Pieters, the team’s leading points producer this season, who shot a 3-over 75.

“Harold is out there playing some solid golf, hitting some quality golf shots,” said Reed, who has five top-three finishes in his LIV Golf career. “It’s always nice when you’re seeing that because you can feed off of it. Obviously it was a bonus chipping in there for eagle.”

Varner did not even think the eagle was his teammate’s best chip of the day. He cited Reed’s third shot at the par-5 13th from an awkward lie out of the greenside rough 30 yards from the pin.

Varner said: “He chips it, somehow shimmies it through the rough, misses the bunker and it goes to four feet — and he misses the putt. But it was the best chip, best shot I saw. It will be the best shot in all of golf on this golf course this week, without a doubt.”

The closest pursuer to the individual co-leaders is Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm, whose 4-under 68 included an eagle at the par-4 sixth. His strong iron play allowed him to overcome an off-day with his driver, as he hit just five fairways.

Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer is solo fourth. He had a share of the lead until a double bogey on his final hole left him shooting 69. His seven total birdies on Friday led the field.

“Definitely (it) hurts to finish the way I finished with a double bogey,” Ancer said. “(It) just felt like I just lost a little bit of concentration on that par 3. Other than that, I felt great.”

Reed, Varner and Rahm will be in the final group off the first tee on Saturday. Rahm has been the league’s most consistent player since joining LIV Golf prior to last season, but is looking to start turning his top 10s into wins. Meanwhile, Reed and Varner are hoping to turn this weekend into a 4Aces’ party.

Varner said: “The team camaraderie in the locker room, I think we’re having a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun.”

TEAM SCORES

LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season now involves all four scores counting in every round in the team competition (click here for more on the new format). Here are the results and scores for each team after Friday’s round one of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.

1. 4ACES GC -9 (Reed 67, Varner III 67, Johnson 70, Pieters 75)

2. CRUSHERS GC -3 (Lahiri 70, Casey 71, DeChambeau 72, Howell III 72)

3. LEGION XIII E (Rahm 68, McKibbin 71, Hatton 74, Surratt 75)

4. FIREBALLS GC +2 (Ancer 69, Puig 70, Garcia 75, Ballester 76)

5. STINGER GC +3 (Oosthuizen 71, Schwartzel 72, Burmester 74, Grace 74)

T6. IRON HEADS GC +6 (Kozuma 72, Jang 74, Lee 74, Na 74)

T6. MAJESTICKS GC +6 (Westwood 72, Poulter 73, Stenson 73, Horsfield 76)

8. HYFLYERS GC +9 (Tringale 72, Ogletree 73, Steele 75, Mickelson 77)

T9. RANGEGOATS GC +10 (Campbell 73, Schniederjans 74, Watson 75, Uihlein 76)

T9. CLEEKS GC +10 (Bland 70, Kaymer 73, Meronk 77, Rottluff 78)

11. SMASH GC +15 (McDowell 70, Kokrak 73, Gooch 79, Koepka/Carrera 81)

12. RIPPER GC +16 (Herbert 75, Leishman 75, Smith 75, Jones 79)

13. TORQUE GC +17 (Pereira 72, Muñoz 76, Niemann 78, Ortiz 79)

Wild Cards: Kim 75, C. Lee 80


Al-Hilal captain Al-Dawsari out of Club World Cup with hamstring injury

Updated 28 June 2025
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Al-Hilal captain Al-Dawsari out of Club World Cup with hamstring injury

  • This means Al-Dawsari will miss Monday’s round of 16 clash against Manchester City
  • Al-Dawsari played a pivotal role in Al-Hilal’s campaign in the Club World Cup

Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari will miss the remainder of the Club World Cup with a hamstring injury, the Saudi club said on Saturday.

“Medical tests have confirmed that Salem Al-Dawsari has suffered from a hamstring injury. He will be undergoing a treatment and rehabilitation program that will last between four to six weeks,” Al-Hilal said in a statement via X.

This means Al-Dawsari will miss Monday’s round of 16 clash against Manchester City.

Al-Dawsari played a pivotal role in Al-Hilal’s campaign in the Club World Cup, after scoring the opening goal in the team’s 2-0 victory over Pachuca on Friday in the third round of the group stage.

The win against Pachuca secured the four-times Asian champions qualification for the last 16 after they finished second in Group H behind Real Madrid.