Tunisian Ons Jabeur is sure to become the first tennis player from an Arab country to enter the world top-10 next Monday after qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells (WTA) tournament.
Jabeur, 27, had no difficulty on Tuesday night to overcome the obstacle of the Russian Anna Kalinskaya, ranked 151st, during the California tournament to win her 47th victory this year.
His rise in the world rankings in recent years was already remarkable. But entering the top-10 of the international weekly ranking takes her to the next level, for the first time in her career as a professional player.
Jabeur is guaranteed to be at least 9th in the WTA standings on Monday after reaching the quarterfinals at Indian Wells. She will face Estonian Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday.
She was 14th after her qualification for the final of the tournament in Chicago, lost to Spain’s Garbine Muguruza.
It was the best position for a player from an Arab country, already previously occupied by Moroccan player Younes El Aynaoui in 2003 and 2004.
“Believe,” Ons Jabeur tweeted about his entry into the WTA top-10.
She was already the first player from an Arab country to reach the quarter-finals of one of the four major tournaments, first at the Australian Open in 2020 and then at Wimbledon in 2021. She was also the first player. from an Arab country to win a WTA title last June at the Birmingham tournament (Great Britain).
Ons Jabeur has also increased its chances of booking a ticket to the Final Masters Championship scheduled for Guadalajara, Mexico, from November 10 to 17, featuring the world’s top 8 players.
“I always told my mom that I wanted to be number one in the world. I’ve always believed in it, but major WTA wins are a dream come true, and I hope I can inspire the next generation. Few players in my country play tennis, ”said Ons Jabeur after his victory on Tuesday.
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