Harper’s Bazaar Arabia 200th Anniversary Issue: Ons Jabeur And Karim Kamoun On Winning At Love
Introducing the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia x Cartier LOVE cover series, celebrating the 200th April 2025 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia…
Tennis ace Ons Jabeur – the most decorated Arab player in history – and her beau, former fencer-turned-coach Karim, met in high school in their native Tunis. Fast forward, and they’re about to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary, becoming a couple in 2011, despite crossing paths years earlier. Now, they are winning at work and at love, and their dynamic has gracefully evolved from one that was purely personal to professional too. There’s a playful competitive spirit during their chat, with Ons regularly proclaiming victory; “I win this round,” even when answering questions about love.
Life could have turned out so very differently for Ons. “When we first got married, a lot of people thought I was going to be a stay-at-home wife; my career probably would be done.” Luckily for the sports star – and the world’s tennis aficionados – her husband Karim, “Has been supporting me since day one,” she says. More than that, he’s channeled his energy into making sure she reaches the pinnacle of her career. “Deciding to work together was a tough decision. Not a lot of people would understand that. But we got to a point that we knew each other. We communicate. Fun fact: first time we started practicing together, he told me to go run. I was like, ‘Don’t tell me what to do!’ So, from arguing about stupid things to understanding each other more, having deep conversations – that has gotten us to where we are today. And the most important thing? We both believed in this personally and professionally,” Ons explains.
The fact that Karim made such a big move was a direct indication of his devotion. He obviously spoke her love language, as Ons tells us, “For me, actions really matter. I’m an athlete, so I’ve had different operations. Treatments for my knee or for my body. When I cannot walk or cannot do anything, he really takes care of me. For me, that’s the best gift I can receive. That love, that caring that he has for me, that’s the best thing.”
It is tough for them to stay serious however, with constant happy teasing as they recount their courtship which allegedly involved Ons playing hard to get, and Karim remembering their very first encounter – which has slipped his now partner’s mind completely. When their lives took similar journeys and they reconnected, “I was very curious about him,” Ons concedes. “I wanted to know his story. We shared the same passion for sport. I knew that this was the man I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with.”
Lead Image Credits: Karim and Ons wear Cartier Love Jewellery, all Cartier
Karim wears: Jacket; Top, both Hermès. Trousers, Loro Piana. Shoes, J.M. Weston. Socks, Falke. Ons wears: Dress, Stylist’s own. Shoes, Christian Louboutin
Editor-in-Chief: Olivia Phillips. Acting Editor-in-Chief: Sophia Serin. Creative Director: Marne Schwartz, Tamim Mortaza; Vice President: Farrah Taylor. Group Managing Editor & Words: Natasha Faruque. Art Director: Paul Solomons. Photographer: Mattia Guolo, Vladimir Marti. Movement: Jamie Neale, Adrien Galo. Production: Steff Hawker, Jean-Marc Mondelet. Make-up Direction: Anna Sadamori, Raffaele Romagnoli. Set Styling: Camille Rousseau. Videography: Maycon Dehan. Fashion: Gabriela Cambero, Charlotte Marsh-Williams. Hair Direction: Jean-Luc Amarin, Adam Garland. Nail Artist: Nafissa Djabi, Leyla Mistry. Photography Assistants: Alessia Azzolini, Alessio Spanu, Manfredi Prestigiacomo, Macky Navarro; Videography Assistants: Larissy Leandro. Production Manager: Gijo Thomas. Image Editor: Jemima Joy. Production Coordination: Erin Steel, Chloe Christodoulou, Marina Moravenova. Hair Assistants: Tracey Nguyen, Yihan Jen, Ziyan Zhang, Wenting Zhangn, Bella Hudgell. Make-up Assistants: Ismahane Benabbou, Natalia Bokan, Roberto Meloni, Sitara Nash, Gabriel Leggieri. Nail Assistants: Yasmine Hilali. Editorial: Milli Midwood, Meeran Mekkaoui.
