Tennis superstar Ons Jabeur made history in 2022: she reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, and became the highest-ranked African and Arab Tennis player ever at No 2. And, now as Ons aims for new heights in 2023, she’s opened up about the training regime she’s following to take her to the top spot.
Intense fitness training
Ons usually dedicates ten days straight in November or December to running and cardio – this prepares her body for the full season. After that, she focuses on strength training. Resistance bands are particularly useful for making strength moves more challenging. By increasing load, resistance, and stability, workout bands can help tennis hopefuls get more out of each rep. Once the January tournaments get near, Ons then practices specific moves she needs to work on – usually training for six to seven hours a day, five days a week. Once the middle of the season rolls around, Ons does what’s called a mini preseason – this combines both cardio and strength in order to give her the last push for the end of the season.
“Tennis is a lot of weeks in a row. When I start competing, obviously, the workload drops a little because I’m preparing more to compete. In preparation for match days, I try to practice two hours on tennis and, an hour and a half on fitness, and I’ll play for about an hour the next day to get my body ready for the start of the tournament”, Ons explains.
Prioritizing recovery
Recovery is always a priority for Ons; it’s essential for keeping her body injury-free and at peak performance. Although diet and sleep play a key role here, Ons is also a particular fan of red light therapy for relaxation. Red light therapy is a type of photomedicine that affects deep into the body’s cells and promotes healing. Ons also meditates regularly to aid her mental preparation and recovery, which is just as important as the physical side. “Tennis is one of the hardest sports. We compete every week and it’s difficult to recover quickly. Massages also help my muscles relax and that’s also very important”, she says.
Tennis is a tough sport that requires exceptional training, fitness, and dedication – all qualities Ons has no shortage of. As such, she’ll undoubtedly be reaching new heights in 2023.
