BADOSA AND JABEUR OPEN UP ON IDENTITY AND MENTAL STRENGTH

Tennis stars share candid insights at World Sports Summit

- BY JAI PRASAD V. RAI Assistant Editor

Paula Badosa (Right) and Ons Jabeur.

Sport at the highest level can make or break an athlete. On one hand, victory brings limelight, trophies, glamour, wealth, and global admiration; on the other, defeat can weigh heavily, taking a serious psychological and emotional toll.

In a candid discussion at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, two tennis stars, Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur, reflected on the weight of labels, the responsibility of representation, and the importance of normalising mental health struggles in sport.

For former World No 2 Badosa, success came quickly — and with it, a label that proved difficult to carry. Early in her career, she was dubbed “the next Maria Sharapova,” a comparison that, while flattering on the surface, became a heavy burden.