'I won't lie to you, sometimes I kind of lost hope' - Ons Jabeur before making history at Australian Open

After struggling for years, Tunisian becomes the first Arab woman to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam

Ons Jabeur celebrates after beating Wang Qiang at the 2020 Australian Open to become the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final. EPA

Ons Jabeur celebrates victory in Melbourne. EPA

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur celebrates during her match against China's Qiang Wang. Reuters

Ons Jabeur in action during her fourth round match against Qiang Wang of China. EPA

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur shakes hands with China's Qiang Wang after winning the match. Reuters

Ons Jabeur celebrates after her victory. AFP

Ons Jabeur celebrates after reaching the quarter-finals. AFP

Ons Jabeur is all smiles after the win. AFP

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia celebrates winning her women's singles fourth round match against Qiang Wang. EPA

Qiang Wang of China walks off the court after defeat in her Women's Singles fourth round match against Ons Jabeur. Getty

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia smiles after the match. Getty

There was a time when Tunisian player Ons Jabeur considered giving up on tennis. She had made headlines when she won the Roland Garros junior title as a 16-year-old in 2011, but did not enjoy the smooth transition she expected when she moved up to the pros.

Three years on, she was still trying to break the top 100, and was struggling to make ends meet.

"I won't lie to you guys," she said. "Sometimes I kind of lost hope a little bit. But then, I mean, I have such a good team behind me, my family, I couldn't stop dreaming about it, so I'm really happy that it came this year."

Her husband and fitness trainer Karim Kamoun recalls: “I remember that time. In 2014 or ’15 maybe, I was working in Doha. I was like, ‘Come on Ons, you don’t have to give up, you have to work, you have to believe’.

"Thankfully the family, the parents, the brothers, sent money, I sent her money too so she can travel to tournaments.

“She would go to one tournament and she didn’t know if she could go to the next tournament or not, if she had enough money or not. But at the end, Ons is a believer, she is strong, she has character and if she has something in her mind to do it, she will do it.”

On Sunday at the Australian Open, the 25-year-old Jabeur made history by becoming the first Arab woman to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, and the first Arab player to make it this far at a major since Moroccan Hicham Arazi reached the last eight at Melbourne Park in 2004.

She will crack the top 50 in the world rankings next week, and is one victory away from becoming the first Arab player in history to reach a Grand Slam semi-final.

"It's a lot of pressure for her because all of Tunisia, all Africa is behind her, but she manages it super nice," her French coach Bertrand Perret told The National on Sunday, after Jabeur upset China's No 27 seed Wang Qiang, who had knocked out Serena Williams two days earlier.

Jabeur is no stranger to dealing with that pressure. Since her junior days, she knew she was representing more than just herself, and that she’s attempting to achieve what no other Tunisian, Arab, or North African woman had managed to before.

“I was really ambitious [from a young age], I always wanted to win a Grand Slam,” Jabeur said in Melbourne. “I always hoped and dreamed about being able to lift one of the trophies. To be honest, I was dreaming about Roland Garros because it's really close to my country.

“I'm doing amazing here. I'm playing really good. One of my best matches in my career. So really I will hope I'm not stopping here. The journey continues. I'm looking really forward.”

Jabeur is playing with newfound confidence this fortnight in Melbourne, and has taken down some huge scalps, including former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki (whom she sent into retirement), former world No 4 Caroline Garcia, and No 12 seed Johanna Konta. The average ranking of her opponents so far this Australian Open is a high 31.

“Ons has a lot of cards in her hand, and now she knows how to use the cards and when she has to use a specific card,” Kamoun explains, referring to Jabeur’s versatile game that includes almost every shot in the book.

“She is more focused on her game. If you see Ons playing against Wozniacki, I saw her eyes, she was like, ‘I’m here, I’m going to win, I’m not struggling, I’m going to do it, I will run, I’m ready to take it’. And we’re living day by day, match by match, and insha’Allah everything will be okay.”

Jabeur’s next challenge comes in the form of American No 14 seed Sofia Kenin, who toppled 15-year-old sensation Coco Gauff on Sunday. For Jabeur, the mission remains the same.

"I'm trying to tell the younger generation in the Arab world or Africa, that it's not impossible. I made it, it was not by luck, one time or two times; I've been coming here for years, I've been playing a lot of Grand Slams, I've been beating good players, so it's not impossible to be here," she told The National. "I hope everyone can watch and take maybe me as an example."