Ons Jabeur reveals the truth behind her tearful timeout and medical diagnosis after miraculous Australian Open 2R win

Ons Jabeur raised concerns about her health early in her second-round match against Camila Osorio at the 2025 Australian Open. The Tunisian, however, powered through and later revealed her struggles with asthma from a younger age.

On Thursday, January 16, Jabeur overcame adversity to secure a 7-5, 6-3 victory against Colombia's Osorio, advancing to the third round of the Australian Open. Just three games into the first set, the three-time Grand Slam finalist was visibly struggling with breathing issues.

She walked to her bench, wiped away tears with a towel, and tapped her chest, clearly in discomfort. A medical timeout was called, and the Tunisian left the court while leading 2-1. Despite battling illness and not being at her best, Jabeur showed remarkable resilience to pull off the win.

In her post-match press conference, she detailed her struggles, revealing that she has had asthma since a young age.

"It was very, very tough to breathe. I mean, when I was younger, I was diagnosed with asthma, so having to cough a lot didn't help. I think it did provoke it even more. But yeah, it is very tough to play," Ons Jabeur said.

"I had to kind of not play long rallies. I know I was playing Camila today, not the best opponent when you're in this condition. But I apologized at the end of the match because I really don't want to behave like this on the court. Yeah, I tried to manage through," she added.

Fortunately, her strong performance on the court provided the boost she needed to keep going. However, she admitted that losing the first set would have made it incredibly challenging to continue the match.

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"We're going to do some more tests" - Ons Jabeur unsure of what the future holds for her at Australian Open

Ons Jabeur at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

During the aforementioned press conference, Ons Jabeur was asked if she was using an inhaler for her asthma struggles. The Tunisian revealed that her inhaler was seemingly not working.

"The inhaler didn't really help, so I was with the doctor, and let's see. We're going to do some more tests and see what's going on," she said.

When asked about using an inhaler on court, Jabeur explained that it is permitted in limited amounts. She revealed that she used it during her medical time-out and had even started using it the previous day, albeit discreetly.

Starting 2024 at World No. 6, Jabeur has faced a slump in form dropping out of the Top 40 by the end of last season. She has climbed a few spots to World No. 39, currently, and will be hoping to continue her rise as she faces a difficult test against eighth seed Emma Navarro in the third round of the Australian Open.

The two last locked horns at the Credit One Open in Charleston back in 2022, with Jabeur winning 6-3, 6-2.