If you’re not an avid tennis fan, this news could have escaped you. But if you are, you probably already know that Ons Jabeur made history as the first African woman as well as the first Arab female to reach the finals of the US Open. As an outstanding player, who just previously made it to the finals of Wimbledon this year, she has risen to number 2 in the rankings. Although she lost in both finals, she did not leave empty handed. Jabeur won the runner up trophy and a second-place monetary prize at both tournaments.
Both money prizes are definite cherries on top. For Wimbledon, Jabeur earned £1,050,000, which equals just over $1.22 million for coming in at second place. And for the US Open, $1.3 million. So in a few short months, Jabeur raked in over $2.52 million!
One notable addendum to add, which is a huge win for equal pay activists and supporters alike, is this. Men and Women in every category of professional tennis, at the Grand Slam level, get paid the same amount of money for each cash prize, according to placement. Both men and women make equal pay in Grand Slams across the globe. Tennis has come a long way, but we cannot leave out the fact that changed everything. Serena Williams brought in millions, if not tens of millions, to the tennis enthusiast stage by being outstanding at the sport. Without her, where would equal pay in tennis be, non-existent? We owe so much to her and her sister Venus! They paved the way for women like Jabeur, and we cannot wait to see what she continues to do.
Ons Jabeur: On The Rise
If you’re not familiar with Jabeur, she has been on the rise for a few years now. She broke into the top ten in October 2021, just after reaching the semifinals at the Indian Wells tournament. Representing the country of Tunisia, she has helped sway their attention away from soccer, making way for more regard towards tennis. During her quarterfinals appearance at the US Open this month, it was reported that Tunsia, where “it’s all about soccer,” according to Jabeur, had television broadcasts favor her match over the Champions League football telecast (Juventus vs. Paris Saint-Germain), which was absolutely major!
.@Ons_Jabeur knows she has plenty of support at home in Tunisia ????????#USOpen pic.twitter.com/lPwPDj7Wy7
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022
Tunisia’s “Minister of Happiness”
In addition to being a superstar at home, Jabeur has been named their “Minister of Happiness,” because of the joy, honor and grace she plays with, inspiring everyone across the African continent. If you are not quite sure where Tunisia is located, don’t worry, you are definitely not alone. It is in northern Africa just to the right of Algeria, two countries to the east of Morocco. Here’s a snippet of a map to show its exact location, below.
Map of Tunisia
via Encyclopedia Britannica
But Jabeur’s support doesn’t stop in Tunisia, she has inspired people across the globe, including Seal, multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning artist. For those of you who still need a little more help, he used to be married to Heidi Klum. In case that’s a better reference for you, don’t feel bad, we understand. He is a huge supporter of hers, and even told brought up how much she is inspiring the African continent, while chatting at the US Open.
Throwback when I met the amazing @Seal ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ATiAMMmQNV
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) November 1, 2021
In addition, tennis great Andy Roddick, a former number one ranked player, showed her some big love and respect. As one of her childhood idols, it was a pleasure to meet him. They crossed paths for the first time at the US Open this year. The exchange was posted on Jabeur’s Twitter account, and later on Roddick’s. He reposted their photo and added a heartfelt and inspiring message to her.
???????????? https://t.co/LVFGvA0xQv
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) September 7, 2022
What a pleasure it was for me to say a quick hello @Ons_Jabeur ! Love watching you. Good luck!!! You can do it!. #respect https://t.co/izQAOJxTyM
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) September 7, 2022
It is not difficult to see that Jabeur has the momentum, the support and the determination to win. We’ll be rooting for you, Ons, we wish you all the success in your pursuit to being number one!
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