In an emotional and heartfelt gesture, Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian former world number two, announced her decision to donate part of her WTA Finals prize money to aid Palestinians after her remarkable win at the tournament in Cancun on Wednesday.
Jabeur avenged her Wimbledon final loss to Marketa Vondrousova with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 straight-set victory, propelling her back into contention for the semi-finals after her earlier loss to Coco Gauff.
During the post-match interview, Jabeur became visibly emotional as she addressed the ongoing conflict in Gaza, saying, “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.”
Struggling to hold back tears, she continued, “It’s very tough seeing children and babies dying every day. It’s heartbreaking. I have decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians. I can’t be happy with this win.”
Jabeur clarified that her gesture was not political but rather an expression of her concern for humanity and a plea for peace in the world. She concluded by saying, “It is not a political message, it is humanity. I want peace in this world. That’s it.”
The 29-year-old tennis sensation is set to face group leader Iga Swiatek in her last group stage match as she aims to secure a spot in the top four of the WTA Finals, a significant milestone in her career, following her group stage elimination in 2022.
