'Very tough to breathe': Former world No.2 Ons Jabeur explains teary mid-match timeout
Updated . First published at
Ons Jabeur was just three games into her second-round match with Camila Osorio when she started crying before walking off the court.
The former world No.2 battled shoulder and knee injuries last year and appeared to be struggling physically, before breaking down in tears.
Jabeur led 2-1 with an early break but made a beeline for her player's bench before calling for the physio.
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While waiting for assistance, Jabeur used her towel to wipe away tears before leaving the court with the medical team for an assessment.
Ons Jabeur was in tears after only three games. Nine
"That's concerning," Jill Craybas said in commentary.
A medical timeout was subsequently called.
However, the 30-year-old returned to the court, electing to play through the illness.
Jabeur ultimately showed a lot of heart and fight to defeat Osorio 7-5, 6-3.
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Jabeur got off to the perfect start — breaking serve in the opening game to get the jump on Osorio. But things quickly went south.
A concerned look did not leave the faces of those in the Tunisian player's box as they repeatedly got to their feet to try to lift Jabeur's spirits.
After trading breaks in the first set, Jabeur had the opportunity to serve it out and made the most of it and she was able to wrap up the match in 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Ons Jabeur receives medical attention during her match. Kelly Defina via Getty Images
Speaking to media after the match, Jabeur explained that her medical timeout was due to asthma - a condition she has dealt with since childhood.
"Very tough to breathe," she said.
"When I was younger, I was diagnosed with asthma. It is very tough to play, I had to kind of not play long rallies. I apologised at the end of the match, because I don't really want to behave like this on the court.
"I tried to manage through. Luckily, I was playing really good. To be honest with you, if I lost the first set, it would have been very difficult to continue."
Jabeur confirmed that she does use an inhaler but admitted it "didn't really help" during her match on Thursday.
