Ons Jabeur opens up on how difficult, painful it is to play tennis during period

Ons Jabeur reveals on numerous occasions she lost a match because the first day of her period coincided with a match day.

After losing to Iga Swiatek during last year’s French Open, rising Chinese star Qinwen Zheng said it was hard for her to play when menstrual cramps were causing her great pain.

Zheng’s comments were praised by her colleagues and that led to other WTA players speaking more openly about the topic.

Since then, Wimbledon has changed its strict all-white dress policy for female players – from this year WTA players will be allowed to wear colored underwear.

Although Jabeur is praising that move, she also says that seeing a WTA player in a black underwear at Wimbledon will basically be telling who is on their period.

Jabeur on the challenge menstrual cramps pose

“You feel it at Wimbledon specifically because you’re playing in all whites. That doesn’t help. They now allow you to wear black [underwear] but if you do that then everybody would know. Some women get more pain, even in their back, and I cannot tell you how many times I played with the first day of my period and how I was suffering and crying of pain. I have lost matches because of it,” Jabeur told The Guardian.

Also, there is one more challenge WTA players face that men don’t.

Jabeur, who is married and admitted to The Guardian that she wants to have a kid one day, is being patient with her husband as she knows that getting pregnant would sideline her for at least one year.

“It’s crazy because some people are like: ‘I don’t need to watch women’s tennis. It’s boring.’ But how would you know? Honestly, women make a lot more sacrifices than men. Unfortunately, if I want to have a baby tomorrow I cannot as I am on tour. This is a huge sacrifice for women,” Jabeur said.