Former world number two Ons Jabeur fought through a challenging second-round match at the Australian Open, overcoming breathing difficulties to defeat Colombian Camila Osorio 7-5, 6-3 at Melbourne Park.
The Tunisian star, visibly emotional during the match, later revealed she experienced an asthma flare-up that left her struggling to breathe. Early in the match, Jabeur was seen coughing and tapping her chest before taking a medical timeout after just three games.
“Breathing was very, very tough,” Jabeur explained. “I was diagnosed with asthma when I was younger. I tried using the inhaler, but it didn’t help much. The doctor will run more tests to figure out what’s happening.”
Jabeur admitted the condition forced her to avoid long rallies against Osorio, a difficult opponent in her state. “I apologized to her after the match because this is not how I like to behave on court,” she said.
The 30-year-old, who has been a finalist in three Grand Slams, acknowledged that losing the opening set would have made it “very difficult to continue.”
After an injury-plagued 2024 season, which saw her miss the US Open and the Paris Olympics, Jabeur has slipped to 39th in the world rankings. She ended her season in September and resumed competitive play at the start of this year, but the long layoff may have contributed to her asthma resurfacing.
“Taking so much time off didn’t help,” she said. “I think it may have aggravated the condition. This started a few days ago and seems to have gotten worse. I’m hoping to recover over the next couple of days.”
Jabeur is set to face American eighth seed Emma Navarro in the next round. Navarro advanced after defeating China’s Wang Xiyu 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
“I’m taking things one minute at a time,” Jabeur said. “I’m doing everything I can to be ready. After coming back from injury, I’m trying not to push myself too much, but setbacks like this are frustrating.”
In other action, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina marked her 50th Grand Slam match win by defeating 17-year-old American wildcard Iva Jovic 6-0, 6-3. Despite her impressive run to the second round, Jovic, the youngest player in the draw, struggled against the 2023 Australian Open finalist, who is ranked 184 places above her.
Rybakina will next face Ukraine’s 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska, a semi-finalist in last year’s tournament as a qualifier.
SOURCE: BBC
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