Tennis stars Ons Jabeur and Mayar Sherif on their journeys to the top

In the first episode of our Abtal podcast, host Reem Abulleil is joined by two Arab tennis stars, Tunisian Ons Jabeur and Egyptian Mayar Sherif, for their first interview together.

Jabeur is the highest-ranked African woman and Arab player in tennis history and Sherif is the second-highest-ranked Arab woman in history and the highest-ranked Egyptian tennis player ever.

The conversation features their journeys from their early days trying to make it in the sport, and how each has taken a completely different path to the top echelons of women’s tennis, reflecting on the key decisions they made along the way.

Jabeur and Sherif also share the turning points in their careers – the highs, the lows, the desperation that comes with trying to break through and the pressure that comes with finally doing well.

Jabeur opens up about her heartbreaking defeat in the 2023 Wimbledon final, while Sherif reveals what pushed her to pursue a career in professional tennis halfway through college.

They share stories from their appearances at the Olympics and even quiz each other on things they’ve always wanted to learn about one another.

You can listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcasting platforms, or watch the full interview on The National News YouTube channel.