Tennis, Ons Jabeur: ‘I suffered from depression, the schedule was too tough’

Turin, 5 November (LaPresse) – Ons Jabeur has revealed that she suffers from depression due to the demanding nature of the calendar and has asked tennis authorities to reduce the duration of Masters 1000 tournaments played over two weeks. The Tunisian tennis star shared a message on social media in July, announcing that she would be taking an indefinite break from tennis to focus on her wellbeing. The 31-year-old revealed that she had been suffering physically and mentally for the past two years and did not feel comfortable on the tennis court. The topic of discussion was the length of most ATP Masters 1000 events, six of which are combined with WTA tournaments, lasting 12 days and featuring 96-player draws, with many unhappy with the increase in duration. In her first appearance on tour since retiring with breathing difficulties at Wimbledon in July, Jabeur told Sky Sports UK: ‘The calendar is killing everyone. I’m not the first to stop playing. Beatriz Haddad Maia did it and Svitolina did it too. It’s tough. I hope the tennis community listens to us and reduces the number of tournaments.’ ‘You stay too long. You feel like instead of stressing for a week, you have two very intense weeks. People think we have more time, but we don’t, it’s too long,’ she said. Turin, 5 Nov. (LaPresse) – Jabeur has launched her foundation and her new academy will officially open its doors in Dubai at the end of November. ‘I’m done letting the calendar dictate what I should and shouldn’t do,’ added the three-time Grand Slam finalist. “I really suffered a lot, mentally more than physically. But my body had been crying out for help for a long time. I didn’t listen to it. I think I suffered from depression without even knowing it, and people call me the “Minister of Happiness”. I was very sad for a long time. I’m putting myself first. For me, it’s a huge step,” she continued. Jabeur has not yet set a date for her return to competitive tennis, explaining that the gruelling 11-month season needs to change. ‘I’ll come back when I feel like it, when I’m happy again,’ said the Tunisian world number 78. ‘I think it’s time to speak up and change things,’ she concludes. ‘I feel like they see us as robots, but no longer as human beings on the court.’