Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur speaks up about Palestine's genocide: "They're trying to starve people to death"

Ons Jabeur, Tunisian tennis player, ranked 36th in the world, and once as high as World No. 2 in 2022 thanks to being runner-up in three Grand Slams and winner of the 2022 Madrid Open, has spoken up about the genocide in Palestine, admitting that it affects her professionally, and explaining how has she been trying to help.

As one of the few elite tennis players publicly supporting Palestine, she says that she has received hate. "I've been called a terrorist so many times" she said on WTA website. "I don't know how that's even related. I'm trying to help people, and especially kids, who are starving."

Jabeur collaborates with the UN World Food Programme, trying to get food to people affected by the war, many who are now living between ruins. However, since last April, UN said that they had run out of food stocks, and now they can't get any more food into Palestine because of Israel's blockade on aid.

"When you close the border and try to starve kids and a lot of other people to death, that's very inhuman. We are in 2025 and I can't believe this is happening", Jabeur said. "One of the guys in Palestine was asking, 'Are we human? To even ask that question means you are living in hell."

Sportingly, it is not a good moment for her either, as the 30-year-old suffered a shoulder injury that had her off the court half of 2024, and she suffered a leg injury in her return in Miami. Her most recent match was a first round exit in Madrid. She will make her debut in Rome tomorrow against Jasmine Paolini.