"I looked at my coach and I was like 'I'm sick of losing against top 10 players'" - Ons Jabeur reflects on the turning point in her career

Ons Jabeur recently reflected on the turning point in her career that catapulted her to a top 10 ranking on the WTA tour.

Jabeur is the highest-ranked African and Arab tennis player in the WTA and ATP rankings history. In June 2022, she achieved a career-high ranking of No. 2 on the WTA tour. She is currently ranked No. 6.

Ons Jabeur and Egyptian tennis player Mayar Sherif were guests on the recent episode of 'Abtal' podcast, hosted by Reem Abulleil.

Jabeur opened up about her rise, saying that it began in 2019 when she was ranked between 30 and 50 on the WTA Tour. However, her frustration grew as she consistently lost against the top 10 players. The Tunisian believed she could be among them.

“For me, there was a certain turning point in 2019, I was playing good, I had a good ranking around 50 or 30 and I looked at my coach and I was like, 'I'm sick of losing against top 10 players even though I know that I can be a top 10 player. I've beaten them so many times, and I believe my level is there,'” Jabeur said (18:15).

The 29-year-old set a goal for herself — to be a top 10 player — and decided she would do everything to get there. That was when her mentality changed, and she reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open.

"As soon as I said I want to be a top 10 player, that became my goal," she continued. "I'm going to do everything for it. For some reason, my mentality changed, and doors started opening in front of me. I met some people along the way who helped me a lot."

"The turning point was when I made the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, the first time I went deep into the second week. That was a changing point, and the moment, I decided 'enough is enough,' many things changed for me,” Jabeur added.

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Ons Jabeur's record since the 2020 Australian Open

2020 Australian Open - (Getty Images)

Since the 2020 Australian Open, Ons Jabeur has clinched five WTA titles and reached three Grand Slam finals. Here's a closer look at the trophies and her best performances at Grand Slams.

In 2021, Jabeur won the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham. Moving into 2022, she secured triumphs at the Madrid Masters and the German Open. The momentum continued last season, where she clinched titles at the Charleston Open and the Ningbo Open.

At Majors, Ons Jabeur has reached three finals. In 2022, she made it to the finals of both the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open. In 2023, she once again reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships. However, she lost on all three occasions.