Ons Jabeur pledges portion of WTA Finals 2023 prize money to aid Palestinians

Published at :November 4, 2023 at 1:00 PM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 12:56 AM

(Courtesy : Al Jazeera)

The Tunisian finished her campaign by winning a round robin match.

A visibly emotional Ons Jabeur said she intends to donate a portion of her earnings from the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun to support the Palestinians who have been under seige in the coastal enclave of Gaza. The Tunisian star expressed the desire to make the contribution during an emotional on-court interview after beating Markéta Vondroušová 6-4 6-3 at WTA Finals 2023 in Cancun, Mexico.

Ons Jabeur says she’s donating a portion of her prize money to Palestine:“I am very happy with the win but I haven't been very happy lately. The situation in the world doesn't make me happy… I feel like… I am sorry. It’s very tough seeing children & babies dying every day.… pic.twitter.com/fVBz9McSjU
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 2, 2023

The Tunisian was the first Arab woman to win a WTA title when she won the Viking Classic at Birmingham in 2021. She is also the first woman from Arab or North African descent to reach the semifinals and finals of a Grand Slam. The current World No. 7 reached the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022 and the Wimbledon final in 2023.

Ons Jabeur after her win against Marketa Vondrousova iterated, “I have decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians. I can’t be happy with this win. It is not a political message, it is humanity. I want peace in this world. That’s it.”

Jabeur is not the only Arab athlete to have extended a helping hand to the Palestinians. Mo Salah, the Egypt and Liverpool striker, made an undisclosed donation to the Egyptian Red Crescent last month to aid its relief efforts in Gaza.

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The Tunisian has made €410,000 ($440,000) by participating and winning one of her round-robin matches at WTA finals in Cancun. She exited the event after losing to Iga Swiatek in straight sets in her final round-robin match. The Polish international broke Jabeur’s serve early in the first set to take an early lead. She won three more games on the Tunisian’s serve in the second to win the match 6-1, 6-2.Swiatek now faces Aryna Sabalenka for a place in the GNP Seguros WTA Finals 2023. The other semifinal will be an all-American affair, with Jessica Pegula taking on Coco Gauff. Both Pegula and Swiatek have gone undefeated in the round-robin stage, winning all three encounters.