"I'm a bit sad; I was starting to feel my game… and these injuries don't help" - Ons Jabeur opens up on breaking down in tears in Abu Dhabi QF

Ons Jabeur exited the Abu Dhabi Open 2024 with a heartbreaking loss to Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarterfinals.

Jabeur lost the match 6-3, 6-4 inside an hour and 33 minutes. Midway through the second set, she broke down in tears to everyone's surprise in the stands and the commentary box.

After the match, the Tunisian revealed that her knee started causing trouble in the second set. Jabeur believed that she was on a roll in the tournament but the knee issue had come as a spoilsport, which apparently led to the tears. She said:

"I wasn't feeling 100 percent, unfortunately, my knee still bothers me a bit. Today wasn't to be my day. I was trying to fight and get through this match but when you play against someone who plays amazing like Beatriz, it's tough to compete. I tried my best and tried to stay focused and play my game but unfortunately, I couldn't.

"I'm a bit sad because I was starting to feel my game and feel good, and these injuries don't help. The priority now is to find the solution to try and keep up and hopefully I can do it." (via The National)

The defeat came as a surprise as she had defeated Emma Raducanu convincingly in her previous match. However, Jabeur further stated that her knee has troubled her for long.

"We go way back with the knee; some tournaments it's good, some tournaments it's bad. I've been feeling it for the past week but today was the worst day. Usually during practice, I try to manage but during matches, it's a bit tougher," she added.

Ons Jabeur is next scheduled to fly to Doha for the Qatar Open. She has been included in the main draw as the fourth seed and will play her first match on Tuesday, February 13.

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Ons Jabeur's Australian Open 2024 campaign ended in 2R, continuing her barren run in Melbourne

Ons Jabeur shows dejection: 2024 Australian Open

Ons Jabeur has found little success at the Australian Open over the years. She first competed at the tournament in 2015 but failed to win any matches in the main draw.

Jabeur's second appearance Down Under came three years later and similar fortunes followed as she crashed out of the first round. She suffered another first-round humiliation in 2019 but impressed in 2020 by reaching as far as the quarterfinals.

In 2021 and 2022, she played till the third and second rounds, respectively.

Ons Jabeur most recently participated in the 2024 event held in January and started with a comprehensive win over Yulia Starodubstewa. However, she was in for a surprise in the second round as 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva ran riot against the sixth seed and closed the match 6-0, 6-2.