Ons Jabeur gave birth to her first child on Monday, calling her baby son "a tiny miracle".
The Tunisian tennis star announced her son Elyan's birth in an Instagram post on Tuesday, showcasing her new family of three alongside her husband, Karim Kamoun, amid a bouquet of congratulatory flowers.
"A tiny miracle, a lifetime of love. Welcoming our baby boy, Elyan Kammoun," Jabeur wrote.
One of the most popular players on the WTA Tour, Jabeur's announcement prompted a flood of affection from her fellow players, with Coco Gauff, Elina Svitolina, Leylah Fernandez, and Emma Raducanu extending their heartfelt congratulations. Paula Badosa also penned an emotional message, saying she “can’t wait” to meet Elyan.
The former world No 2 has been away from competition in recent months due to pregnancy, marking a pause in one of the most consistent careers on the WTA Tour.
Jabeur, 31, has long spoken of her desire to grow her family and return to tennis as a mother.
The WTA, urged by the Player Council, has been working hard in recent years to make the tour a more supportive environment for mothers competing on the circuit.
Eligible players can now receive a special ranking after going away on maternity leave or undergoing fertility treatment. They can also get paid maternity leave of up to 12 months and receive grants for fertility protection measures, thanks to the Maternity Fund Programme created by the WTA and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
“The maternity programme is unbelievable and I want to thank PIF and WTA for making this happen,” Jabeur told The National in November when she revealed plans to open a tennis academy in Dubai.
“I actually spoke to some PIF people in Saudi and I think it’s going to help a lot of us, and definitely me. I’ll be participating in that and hopefully it will make my comeback easier.”
Jabeur has every intention of returning to the tennis tour, and told The National before her pregnancy announcement that she is not hanging up her racquet and is simply on hiatus.
“I'm not retiring like most people think, I'll be coming back someday,” she said.
Several tennis stars have returned to the tour after giving birth in recent years, including Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, and Tatjana Maria.
Since turning professional in 2010, Jabeur has reached three Grand Slam finals, at the US Open (2022) and Wimbledon (2022, 2023), and became the highest-ranked Arab and African player in history.
