Ons Jabeur wants ‘More Respect’ for women after reaching Madrid quarters
Tunisian tennis sensation Ons Jabeur has criticized European tournament organisers for their unequal treatment of women players compared to men, following her advancement to the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.
Jabeur, who defeated ninth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko to secure her spot in the last eight, expressed her disappointment with the lack of respect shown towards female athletes, despite tennis being a leader in women’s sports.
“While I am proud to play tennis as a woman, I believe there is still a long way to go in achieving gender equality, especially in European tournaments like Madrid and Rome,” stated the world number nine.
Jabeur highlighted disparities in access to practice courts and television coverage between male and female players, emphasizing the need for fair treatment and recognition of women’s matches.
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“It’s frustrating to see the differential treatment between men and women in tennis. We need to address these issues to inspire young girls and promote equality in the sport,” she added.
Meanwhile, top seed Iga Swiatek also secured her place in the quarter-finals with a dominant performance against Sara Sorribes Tormo. Swiatek will face Brazilian left-hander Beatriz Haddad Maia in the next round.
In the men’s competition, American Ben Shelton suffered his first defeat of the clay season at the hands of Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, who advanced to the fourth round where he awaits the winner between Daniil Medvedev and Sebastian Korda.
