In the first episode of Abtal, host Reem Abulleil is joined by two iconic Arab tennis players, Tunisian Ons Jabeur and Egyptian Mayar Sherif, for their first interview together.
Ons is the highest-ranked African woman and Arab player in tennis history and Mayar is the second-highest ranked Arab woman in history and the highest-ranked Egyptian tennis player ever.
The conversation features their journeys from their early days trying to make it in tennis, and how each of them has taken a completely different path to the top echelons of women’s tennis, reflecting on the key decisions they made along the way.
Ons and Mayar also share the turning points in their respective careers, the highs, the lows, the desperation that comes with trying to break through and the pressure that comes with finally doing well.
Ons opens up about her heartbreaking defeat in the 2023 Wimbledon final, while Mayar reveals what really pushed her to pursue a career in professional tennis halfway through college.
They share stories from their previous appearances at the Olympics and even quiz each other on things they’ve always wanted to learn about one another.
You can listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcasting platforms, or watch the full interview on The National News YouTube channel.
This series is produced by The National's multimedia department. Sound design and audio-engineering by Arthur Eddyson. Video production and promotions by Mahmoud Rida and Phil Green. Visual designs and artwork by Nick Donaldson and Aneesh Grigary. Doaa Farid is the executive producer. The National's head of multimedia is Enas Refaei.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com