A few days after announcing her pregnancy, Ons Jabeur surprised by choosing to return to the circuit not as a player, but as a mentor to the young Turk Zeynep Sönmez. A new chapter opens for the Tunisian champion, which includes a major project for the 2026 season.
The Tunisian Ons Jabeur, away from the courts since July due to her pregnancy, is already preparing her return to the circuit… under a brand new sporting identity. From 2026, she will accompany the Turkish Zeynep Sönmez, 112th in the world, within a staff in full reconstruction. This collaboration was revealed on social networks, arousing keen interest in the tennis world.
A transition to a mentor role
While she is expecting a little boy, Jabeur chooses to broaden her influence on the circuit by taking on a rare role: that of mentor to a young player on the rise.
This decision marks a significant step in the career of the Tunisian, who puts her experience, her unique technical approach and her sense of the game at the service of a future contender for major tournaments.
A duo supervised by Issam Jellali
Zeynep Sönmez’s new technical structure will also be based on a familiar face: Issam Jellali. Historic coach of Ons Jabeur, he becomes the main coach of the Turkish player and will lead an extended team dedicated to her progress.
This transition reinforces the idea of a real bridge between the two players: the expertise accumulated by Jabeur and Jellali at the top of the world hierarchy now feeds the ambitions of Sönmez, already titled in WTA 250 in Mérida at the end of 2024.
If Jabeur is invested in this new mission, there is nothing to indicate that she is turning her back on her playing career. Those around him suggest that a return to the circuit remains possible after the birth of his child.
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