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.