The current discussion in the world of women’s tennis over performance byes recently got the attention of Ons Jabeur, who gave her thoughts on the subject. The Tunisian star backed Rybakina and called for the WTA to clear the rules and explain them in a better way to all the players. The 29 year-old also asked the WTA for better scheduling and management.
The debate started when Elena Rybanika displayed her displeasure as Maria Sakkari entered the next round via bye due to her performance in Tokyo. Rybanika ended up withdrawing from the tournament.
Ons Jabeur not a fan of the bye rule
The ‘bye rule’ is a current hot topic of discussion in the tennis world. It started when Maria Sakkari was given a bye in the first round due to help good performances in Tokyo, which meant Rybanika had to play her match on Monday instead. Rybanika showed her displeasure about the decision and withdrew from the tournament.
Speaking to the media after her first round match at the China Open, Jabeur admitted that she finds the bye rule very confusing and hoped for more clarity. The Tunisian further hoped for better scheduling of the tournaments too to make it easier for the players.
“Yeah, the rules about the performance bye are really, really confusing. For me, I wish I had a performance bye from Ningbo. If it’s allowed to give from 500 to 1000, then it’s allowed to give from a 250 to a 1000. I think the schedule should be better. We shouldn’t have a tournament in Mexico, then Tokyo, then Tokyo to here. At least Tokyo to here is better.”
Jabeur also stated her support for Elena Rybakina, who was at the center of the performance bye issue. The Tunisian also hoped for more clarity in the rule to avoid further confusion and frustration.
“Yeah, I feel like if they’re going to do performance byes, they should keep normal byes maybe, yeah, and explain better the rules for sure. I think we didn’t have any explanation on that. I do understand the point of Elena, and hopefully we can find a solution about it with the WTA and avoid this happening. Definitely clear the rules once for all.”
Jabeur’s desire for greater transparency and communication on performance byes reflect the feeling among fans and players alike. The bye argument is expected to rage on for some time as the WTA attempts to find a non-controversial manner to handle byes in tennis.
Tennis legends rooting for Jabeur to win a Grand Slam
Ons Jabeur has won the hearts of tennis fans by her brilliant performances on the court. The Tunisian star hails from a small background but has made a big name for herself. The 29 year-old has had some good runs but is yet to win a Grand Slam title.
Jabeur made the final of both the Wimbledon and US Open in 2022, failing to win either of the tournaments, then again in 2023, Jabeur lost the final of the Wimbledon to Marketa Vondrousova. The Tunisian is aiming to be the first ever African women to win the Grand Slam.
Although she is yet to win a Grand Slam, Jabeur has made some star studded fans. Andy Roddick was the first to wish the Tunisian on her great Wimbledon run and admitted that he hoped to see her win a Grand Slam soon. Furthermore, women’s tennis superstar, Maria Sharapova admitted in an interview that she is a fan of Jabeur and hoped that she will win a Grand Slam one day.
