Former finalist Ons Jabeur retires in first round of Wimbledon against Viktoriya Tomova

The sweltering 34°C conditions added to the challenge. The All England Club had already implemented its heat policy as players contended with fierce sunshine on Day 1.

Jabeur, who suffers from asthma and has previously struggled in extreme conditions, including a similar episode at the 2025 Australian Open, looked visibly distressed throughout.

Her early exit marks a significant loss for the women’s draw. Jabeur reached back-to-back Wimbledon finals in 2022 and 2023, but both ended in heartbreak.

She lost the 2022 final in three sets to Elena Rybakina, and she was beaten in straight sets by Markéta Vondrousova a year later, a defeat she later called the most painful of her career. She also fell short in the 2022 US Open final against Iga Swiatek.

Injuries have hampered Jabeur’s 2025 season. She exited the French Open in the first round and hasn’t advanced beyond the quarterfinals in any event this year. Her most promising run came in Doha, where she reached the last eight. A lingering shoulder injury ended her 2024 season early, and she later sustained a leg strain during the Miami Open this spring.

With Jabeur out, Viktoriya Tomova now advances to face Britain’s Sonay Kartal, who delivered a surprise victory over No. 20 seed Jelena Ostapenko.

For Jabeur, the defeat is not just an early exit; it’s another cruel chapter in an already emotional Wimbledon legacy. Whether this signals the closing stages of her Grand Slam ambitions or a pause before resurgence remains to be seen. Yet for now, the grass at SW19 loses one of its most graceful and resilient competitors.