"Shocked" Ons Jabeur calls out ITF for canceled tournaments in Monastir, Tunisia

Ons Jabeur is demanding answers from the International Tennis Federation (ITF), after a series of pro tournaments in Monastir, Tunisia usually scheduled for December were canceled seemingly without explanation.

On Monday, the Tunisian took to social media to share an open letter to the ITF and president David Haggerty, saying she was “shocked” to see more than half a dozen men’s and women’s ITF events absent from the calendar.

“Shocked to see that events have been canceled in December!” she wrote on X. “Players are struggling already and they are working hard to get their ranking up!”

“Care to explain?” she added, tagging the handles for the ITF and Haggerty’s accounts.

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The letter urges the ITF to consider the city’s “pleasant climate” and “quality infrastructure” and has been written “on behalf of tennis players wishing to see the development of tournaments in Monastir during the month of December.”

“Organizing tournaments during this period could not only attract players from various backgrounds, but also contribute to the influence of tennis in the region,” the letter states.

“We firmly believe that these events would be beneficial for everyone, by providing players with additional competitive opportunities and promoting the engagement of young talents… It could also boost the local economy and promote sports tourism.”

Hand signed by more than 60 players, the letter included signatures ranging from rising juniors to Challenger veterans representing countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, Turkey, Japan and more.

Neither the ITF nor Haggerty have responded to Jabeur and the group, and no statement has been issued by the Tunisian Tennis Federation regarding the event cancellations. It’s unclear which party canceled the events.

Ahmad Nassar, executive of the Professional Tennis Players Association, posted in support of Jabeur and the players. "Tennis players at all levels have been subject to the unexplained & inexplicable whims of unaccountable power brokers in tennis for too long," he wrote on X. "That’s why player leaders created (the PTPA) and that’s why we advocate for ALL players to get their opportunities and their fair share."

According to the ITF’s world tennis tour calendar, the city hosted one men’s tournament and one women’s tournament almost every week of the year in 2023—including four M15, two W25 and two W15-level events in December. This year, the calendar shows no upcoming events listed in December.

The Federation’s 2023-2024 national calendar only lists events through September, while its provisional 2024-2025 calendar, last updated in August, does not list any events in Monastir planned for December.

Monastir has also been home to a WTA 250 event since 2022 called the Jasmin Open Tunisia, won this year by Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal.

Read More: Ons Jabeur shuts down 2024 season due to shoulder injury

Jabeur, who trains in Monastir, is the highest-ranked Arab player in tennis history and a trailblazer for the sport in the region. The former world No. 2 announced the early end of her season back in September due to a shoulder injury.