Ons Jabeur faces broken heart after withdrawing from Doha and Dubai

First it was Abu Dhabi. Now, it’s far more.

Ons Jabeur will miss one of her most important tournament swings of the year, after sharing on social media Wednesday that her time away from the WTA Tour will now include absences in Doha and Dubai. The two-time major finalist made the difficult decision to put resetting her health first.

“My medical team have decided that I need to get a minor surgery in order to be able to be back on the courts and perform well. I will have to retire from Doha and Dubai and this is breaking my heart,” the Tunisian wrote.

“I would like to say sorry to all the fans out there in the Middle East that waited for this reunion. I promise I will come back to you stronger and healthy.”

Jabeur had bowed out to Marketa Vondrousova in the second round of the Australian Open. Throughout January, there were doubts about the 28-year-old being ready for the Happy Slam, where she fielded questions about her back and knee.

The world No. 3 will surely be eager to be fit in time for the Sunshine Double. From a ranking perspective, picking up points at Indian Wells and Miami will help alleviate the pressure that will come with defending her biggest 2022 results.

Her stellar stretch of form last year began with a runner-up showing in Charleston, before going on to lift her maiden 1000 trophy in Madrid, adding a finalist effort at the 1000 in Rome and posting an 11-1 record on grass that culminated with her Grand Slam final debut. Roland Garros will serve as a place to gain ground, having fallen in the first round at the hands of Magda Linette.