Ons Jabeur Is Making It Harder For The Tennis World To Ignore Palestine

For a population that increasingly spends their time and makes their money in the Arab world, tennis players have had almost nothing to say about Palestine. In that respect, they are like most professional athletes in 2026: silent on even the most obvious injustices, possibly out of ignorance or (more likely) a reluctance to endanger any commercial opportunities. When asked about any subject that could have a political dimension, they tend to clam up or dive into the safest of cliches, as our Owen Lewis discovered firsthand at the Australian Open.

At least for the American contingent, there's Coco Gauff, one of the few players who readily acknowledges the existence of a world outside the tennis tournament, and can critically reflect on that world. "For me, it's sometimes troubling to live the life I live, in knowing that so many kids and innocent people are dying on both ends, but especially in what's going on in Gaza and the occupation that’s happening," Gauff said in 2024. Elsewhere, Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez has competed while wearing a watermelon pin. In a 2023 interview with Clay , Egyptian player Mayar Sherif asked good questions about why the WTA threw its support behind Ukraine in its war with Russia, but remained silent on Gaza. Beyond a few isolated cases, commentary on or open support for Palestine is scarce at the highest levels of the sport.

In this environment, Tunisian player Ons Jabeur is conspicuous. Jabeur, the former world No. 2, is an eminent stylist on court, and by some margin the greatest Arab or African tennis player in history. To hear her tell it, Palestine has never been far from her thoughts over the last three years. She pledged some of her prize money to Palestine aid during an on-court speech at the 2023 WTA Finals, and has been raising funds for Gaza as an ambassador for the World Food Programme since 2024.