Ons Jabeur has apologised to her Australian Open opponent Camila Osorio after being involved in concerning scenes during their second round match.
The former world no.2 broke down just three games into her clash with the Colombian and was pictured covering her face with her towel before leaving the court while clasping at her chest.
A medical timeout was then called as Jabeur exited Court 3 for an assessment, with the Tunisian leading 2-1 with her service game still to come.
However, she soon returned to action and managed to battle through for a straight-sets win over Osorio.
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Ons Jabeur apologises after leaving the court ‘in tears’ at Australian Open
“It was a very tough match, very difficult for me to win today,” Jabeur said post-match while explaining the incident.
“But it was definitely something to find out about myself and how I can push my limits.
“It was very, very tough to breathe,” she continued. “When I was younger, I was diagnosed with asthma.”
The 30-year-old’s ailment meant she had to adjust her game once she returned as she revealed she tried to not get involved in extended rallies.
However, she also issued an apology to Osorio for the extended delay and displaying her discomfort throughout the contest.
“Not the best opponent when you are in this condition,” Jabeur said.
“I apologised at the end of the match, because I really don’t want behave like this on the court.
“I think maybe she was confused at me running and suffering at the same time, which I completely understand. I apologise again, for that.”
Jabeur went on to explain how she had been struggling to breathe during the past few days with medical aids doing little to improve her condition.
“I tried to use the inhaler, and it didn’t really help,” Jabeur said.
“I used it when I took the medical timeout. But we’re going to do some more tests and see what’s going on.”
Jabeur’s 7-5, 6-3 win which came in a little over one and a half hours saw her advance through to face American Emma Navarro.
However, she admitted that had she gone down in her first set against Osorio, she would likely have thrown in the towel at Melbourne Park.
“To be honest with you, if I lost the first set, it would have been very difficult to continue,” Jabeur conceded.
