World No. 2 Ons Jabeur was looking forward to recovering with her husband, Karim Kamoun, after her first-round Australian Open victory over Tamara Zidansek Tuesday night.
During her post-match interview, the 28-year-old Tunisian pro drew oohs from the crowd at Rod Laver Arena, when she said she planned to put her husband to work that night.
“Yeah ice baths and I’m going to make my husband work tonight, so I have a lot of massage and good recovery,” Jabeur said of Kamoun.
When the crowd began cheering, Jabeur laughed and said, “Massage guys, massage,” before explaining, “For those who don’t know my husband is also my fitness coach and does everything for me.”
The Australian Open crowd roared with laughter as Jabeur raised her arms in the air and exited the court.
Taking to Twitter after the match, Jabeur reposted the now-viral clip with a pair of crying-laughing emojis.
Jabeur and Kamoun, a former professional fencer from 2003 to 2011, tied the the knot in 2015.
Kamoun left his job as a fencing coach in Qatar to join his wife full-time on tour in 2017, according to GQ Middle East.
Jabeur, who appears on the cover of “Vogue” Arabia’s January issue, discussed their working relationship in an interview with the magazine.
“On the court I see him as my trainer and outside the court he is my husband,” she said. “We still have to make sure we have moments together as a couple.”
Jabeur is the first and only Muslim and Arab tennis player, male or female, to reach a Grand Slam finals in singles — accomplishing the feat at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022.
“I know that more kids in Tunisia now believe they could have a professional tennis career,” she told the magazine. “Now there is hope in the young generation.”
Jabeur will face Marketa Vondrousova in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on Thursday.