Two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur was forced to retire from her first-round match at the All England Club on Monday, continuing what has been a challenging season for the Tunisian player.
The 30-year-old, currently ranked 59th in the world, withdrew whilst trailing Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova 7-6 (5), 2-0 on Court 14.
Jabeur, who reached consecutive Wimbledon finals in 2022 and 2023 but has never won a Grand Slam title, was unable to continue after experiencing breathing difficulties during the match.
The retirement marks another setback in what has been a difficult year for the former world number two.
Ons Jabeur was visibly emotional after she was forced to retire
Reuters
The match took a concerning turn after just 26 minutes when Jabeur requested a medical timeout during the first set.
She appeared visibly distressed whilst seated courtside, with medical staff checking her vitals and blood pressure.
The 30-year-old was taken off court for further examination during a 14-minute delay.
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World no 148 Viktoriya Tomova was winning 7-6 (5), 2-0 when Ons Jabeur retired
Reuters
Despite attempting to continue playing after returning to the court, Jabeur was forced to retire early in the second set.
Multiple outlets reported that the Tunisian player was struggling with breathing difficulties during the match.
The scorching temperatures and bright sunshine on Court 14 appeared to compound her physical distress.
Speaking after the match, Jabeur expressed her disappointment at the unexpected turn of events, saying: "I wasn't expecting not to feel good.
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"I've been practising pretty well the last few days but I guess these things happen.
"I'm pretty sad, it really doesn't really help with my confidence and what I keep pushing myself to do even though it was a very tough season for me.
She added: "I hope I can feel better and see what is going to happen."
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Jabeur's struggles this season follow a shoulder injury that ended her 2024 campaign prematurely and a strained leg muscle at the Miami Open earlier this year.
Her deepest tournament run in 2025 has been a quarterfinal appearance in Doha, Qatar.
The former world no 2, who reached her career-high ranking in 2022, said she plans to take time away from tennis to recover.
"Definitely try to disconnect a little bit from tennis and just try to enjoy life outside tennis, recover and spend a little bit of time with the family," she said.
Tomova will face Britain's Sonay Kartal in the second round after Kartal's upset victory over 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko.
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