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Ons Jabeur is hoping to return to the tennis tour in 2027 – two years after she last played a match. The former world No. 2 suffered heartbreak at Wimbledon as she twice finished runner-up in 2022 and 2023. In her documentary, This Is Me, Jabeur later revealed that, had she won Wimbledon in 2023, she would have taken time off as she and her husband wanted to try for a baby. In July 2025, the Tunisian tennis star finally stepped away from the sport and did not say if or when she would return. “I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first,” Jabeur wrote in a statement.
The three-time Grand Slam finalist has since given birth to her first child, a boy named Elyan. And Jabeur has now confirmed that she “definitely” plans to return to competition, and wants to play for a few years before retiring.
“I'm hoping to come back, hopefully next year. I still don’t know the exact time, but very soon,” the 32-year-old told The National. “I'm still discovering… My body is a bit changed after the delivery, but I’m definitely coming back and hoping to stay a few more years on tour before actually retiring.”
Several tennis stars have enjoyed successful returns from pregnancy, including Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina, and Belinda Bencic. Svitolina is currently competing at the WTA Finals – her fourth appearance overall and her first since she gave birth to her daughter in 2022.
Jabeur has already began training ahead of her planned comeback, and even brings Elyan with her. She added: “I'm enjoying every moment, you know, motherhood it’s been amazing.
“Definitely will want more sleep, but it's part of the process. I'm enjoying everything with my son… He actually comes with me when I train. I'm trying to come back slowly.”
And the former world No. 2 has remained involved in tennis during her hiatus and her pregnancy. Jabeur opened a tennis academy in Dubai last year, and was also present at the 2025 WTA Finals as a tournament ambassador. “It's our nature maybe as a woman – we never stop,” she said.
Jabeur announced her indefinite break after she was forced to retire in the middle of her first-round match against Viktoria Tomova at Wimbledon in 2025. “For the past two years, I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges,” she wrote on social media.
“But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now. Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it's time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living.”
Later in 2025, Jabeur admitted that she had lost her joy on the tennis court and said it “became the place that gave me depression”. But the Tunisian ace is now ready to step back on the court with a renewed perspective.
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