Tunisian tennis star and two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur was forced to retire from her opening-round match against Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova on Monday, after struggling physically in the sweltering heat at the All England Club.
Jabeur, ranked 59th in the world after a year marked by injuries, trailed by a set and a break when she called it quits, with Tomova leading 7-6(5), 2-0. The match was played in soaring temperatures nearing 30°C, adding to the former world number two’s discomfort.
The 29-year-old took a medical timeout at 3-2 in the first set, leaving the court for 14 minutes. Moments earlier, she had appeared visibly distressed, burying her head in a towel and wrapping an ice cloth around her neck while a physio checked her blood pressure.
Although she returned to the court, Jabeur never regained her rhythm and ultimately retired early in the second set. She later offered a brief comment to tournament officials, expressing her disappointment.
“I wasn’t expecting not to feel good,” she said. “I’ve been practising well the last few days, but I guess these things happen. I’m pretty sad — this doesn’t help my confidence. It’s been a very tough season for me.”
Jabeur, who lost in the Wimbledon finals in both 2022 and 2023, said she plans to rest and “disconnect a little bit from tennis” while spending time with her family.
The retirement comes on what could become one of the hottest days in Wimbledon history, with forecasts predicting temperatures up to 33°C in southwest London. The hottest-ever day at Wimbledon remains July 1, 2015, when the temperature reached 35.7°C.
