Three-time grand slam finalist Ons Jabeur has announced she is stepping away from tennis to focus on her mental wellbeing.
Jabeur reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022, only to lose to Elena Rybakina at the All England Club and Iga Swiatek at Flushing Meadows.
The Tunisian returned to the showpiece match at SW19 in 2023 but suffered a surprise 6-4 6-4 defeat to Marketa Vondrousova, who became the first unseeded woman to win the Wimbledon final.
Jabeur has not gone beyond the third round at any of the three grand slams staged so far this year, retiring from her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova at Wimbledon after struggling in extreme heat.
And the 30-year-old – who has battled injuries for much of the last 12 months – has now taken the decision to spend some time away from tennis.
"For the past two years I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges," Jabeur wrote in a social media post.
"But, deep down, I haven't felt happy on 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.
"Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always."
The WTA confirmed on Thursday that Jabeur had withdrawn from the Canadian Open in Montreal and would not enter the US Open, which begins on August 24.
The Canadian Open takes place from July 27 to August 7, with Roland-Garros champion Coco Gauff the top seed after Aryna Sabalenka withdrew due to fatigue.
