Ons Jabeur extends gratitude to soccer legend David Beckham for acknowledging her documentary 'This is Me'

Modified Jan 18, 2024 02:04 GMT

Ons Jabeur has expressed her gratitude to soccer legend David Beckham for his congratulatory message on her documentary, 'This Is Me'.

The film, which premiered on the streaming platform TOD on January 7, chronicles Jabeur’s inspiring journey from a young girl with a dream to a trailblazing star who made history as the first Arab-African woman to reach the final of a Grand Slam.

The documentary showcases Jabeur’s remarkable achievements and challenges in the world of tennis, as well as her personal aspects, such as her family, marriage, and culture. It also addresses the themes of mental health, self-doubt, and pressure that Jabeur faced at Grand Slams. (via GQ Middle East)

Beckham congratulated Jabeur on her documentary and shared the trailer of the film on his Instagram account on Tuesday, January 16.

"Congratulations on your documentary @onsjabeur," Beckham wrote.

Jabeur was quick to respond to Beckham’s post, sharing his story on her own Instagram and writing:

"Thank you 🙏❤️"

The documentary also features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Jabeur’s 2023 season, as well as candid interviews with her, her coach, her husband, and her parents. Jabeur also opens up about the pressures and expectations that come with being a trailblazer, and how she copes with them.

A look into Ons Jabeur's performance in the 2024 Australian Open

Ons Jabeur’s Australian Open campaign ended in disappointment as the sixth seed was stunned by Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in the second round on Wednesday, January 17.

Jabeur, who reached the quarterfinals in 2020, was outplayed by the 16-year-old Andreeva, who won 6-0, 6-2 in just 54 minutes and scored her career's first top-10 victory.

Jabeur had a decent start to the tournament, having not played a competitive match since the WTA Finals in November last year. She faced Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in the first round and won 6-3, 6-1.

But the Tunisian had no answer to Andreeva’s aggressive game in the second round. Andreeva, ranked 47th in the world, hit 13 winners to Jabeur’s nine and made 10 unforced errors as compared to Jabeur's 24.

Mirra Andreeva reached the last 32 and beyond at three Grand Slams in 2023, including the Round of 16 at the Wimbledon Championships, where she lost to Madison Keys in three sets. She will face France's Diane Parry in the third round on Friday, January 19.

Edited by Samya Majumdar