For years, Arab tennis players have been making their mark on the international stage, often breaking barriers long before the sport became as visible across the region as it is today. And as the US Open once again brings the biggest names in tennis into the spotlight, it is a good time to look back at the Arab players who have already made history on the world’s biggest courts.
From Ons Jabeur’s Grand Slam finals to Younes El Aynaoui’s marathon battles and Ismail El Shafei’s Wimbledon upset, these players have left behind records that continue to shape Arab tennis.
Ons Jabeur: First Arab and African Woman to Reach a Grand Slam Final
Ons Jabeur has arguably rewritten the record books for Arab tennis more than any player before her. The Tunisian became the first Arab and African woman in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam singles final, doing so at Wimbledon in 2022 before reaching another major final at the US Open later that year. She also climbed to a career-high World No. 2, becoming the first Arab or North African woman to reach that ranking.
Jabeur’s list of firsts does not stop there. She became the first Arab woman to win a WTA singles title when she lifted the Birmingham trophy in 2021, while her 2020 Australian Open quarterfinal run made her the first Arab woman to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam. Her success has made her one of the most influential figures in the region’s tennis history.
Younes El Aynaoui: Set Morocco’s Highest Tennis Ranking at No. 14
Morocco’s Younes El Aynaoui reached World No. 14 in 2003, a career-high that remains one of the biggest milestones in Arab men’s tennis. He also won five ATP singles titles and reached four Grand Slam quarterfinals during his career.
But El Aynaoui is perhaps best remembered for one unforgettable match. At the 2003 Australian Open, he faced Andy Roddick in a nearly five-hour quarterfinal that ended 21–19 in the fifth set. At the time, it was the longest fifth set in Grand Slam history. El Aynaoui even held match point before Roddick eventually prevailed, turning the Moroccan’s run into one of the tournament’s most memorable battles.
Selima Sfar: The First Arab Woman to Break Into the Top 100
Before Jabeur became a household name, Tunisia’s Selima Sfar was already breaking new ground. Sfar became the first Arab woman to crack the WTA Top 100, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 75 in 2001.
Her achievement was significant at a time when there were very few Arab women competing at the highest levels of professional tennis. Jabeur herself has spoken about training with Sfar and the importance of having someone from the region who had already reached the Top 100. In many ways, Sfar opened a door that later generations of Arab women could walk through.
Mayar Sherif: Egypt’s Highest-Ranked Singles Player
Egyptian tennis star Mayar Sherif has steadily built a list of firsts of her own. She reached a career-high World No. 31 in June 2023, making her the highest-ranked Egyptian singles player in the Open Era.
Sherif has repeatedly broken new ground for Egyptian tennis. She became the first Egyptian woman to crack the Top 100, the first Egyptian player to win a WTA Tour singles title when she triumphed in Parma in 2022, and the first Egyptian player to reach the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event when she made the last eight in Madrid in 2023. Her rise has helped put Egyptian women’s tennis firmly on the international map.
Malek Jaziri: First Arab Male Tennis Player to Reach the Third Round of a Grand Slam in Over a Decade
Another Tunisian who pushed Arab men’s tennis forward is Malek Jaziri. The former Tunisian No. 1 reached a career-high World No. 42 in January 2019, making him one of only five Arab men to break into the ATP Top 50.
Jaziri’s Grand Slam breakthrough came at the 2015 Australian Open, where he reached the third round. He also became known for taking down some of the sport’s biggest names, recording three Top 10 victories during his career over Grigor Dimitrov, Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev. Before retiring in 2023, Jaziri also collected eight ATP Challenger titles and represented Tunisia in Davis Cup competition for more than two decades.
Ismail El Shafei: Only Egyptian Player to Reach the Top 40 in Grand Prix/ATP History
Long before Arab tennis became a regular presence on the Grand Slam stage, Egypt’s Ismail El Shafei was making history. He won the Wimbledon boys’ singles title in 1964 and later became the only Egyptian player to reach the Top 40 in Grand Prix/ATP ranking history, peaking at No. 34.
His most famous moment came at Wimbledon in 1974, when he stunned fifth-seeded Björn Borg in the third round, winning 6–2, 6–3, 6–1. El Shafei went on to reach the quarterfinals that year, marking one of the deepest Grand Slam runs by an Egyptian man.
From El Shafei’s historic Wimbledon run to Jabeur’s Grand Slam finals, these players have shown that Arab tennis has never lacked talent. Each generation has pushed the next one a little further, turning once-unthinkable milestones into goals that now feel increasingly within reach.
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