Ons Jabeur of Tunisia loses in US Open final

Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur lost the women's final of the US Open Saturday. Jabeur lost in straight sets to the number one-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland.

Jabeur advanced to the championship on September 8, reaching her second Grand Slam final this year in the process, Al-Monitor reported on September 10.

"If you're still awake in Tunisia, thank you for your support," Jabeur said in front of the New York crowd following her semifinal victory.

In July, Jabeur became the first woman from the African continent to reach a Grand Slam tennis final when she advanced to the final round of Wimbledon. She lost to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in three sets.

Jabeur has inspired many Tunisians to take up tennis. After reaching the Wimbledon final, she said, "I want to see more not just Tunisian, but African, Arab players on tour."

Tunisia's state telecom service Tunisie Telecom congratulated Jabeur on September 9, calling her "our national champion" on Twitter.

Jabeur is seeking to become the first tennis player from North Africa to win a Grand Slam championship. There are four such tournaments each year, and they are also referred to as "majors".