This is Tunisia's first World Championship appearance for 28 years and only the third time they have qualified in total. The 1986 edition in Czechoslovakia is statistically the African side's highest finish in World Championship history. Drawn in Pool B alongside China, East Germany and the Soviet Union, they lost all their matches in straight sets and finished with a ranking of 16, as only 16 teams participated that year. In their only other showing, in 1978, they finished 23rd after losing a classification match to Finland in straight sets. On that occasion, they were handed a tough pool with matches against Italy, Japan and the United States.

Tunisia have twice competed in the World Cup and most recently finished 12th in 1995, having finished four places higher 14 years earlier. At last year's African Championships they finished in third place behind Cameroon and Kenya, improving on their sixth place finish two years previously. They won the tournament in 1985, 1987 and most recently in 1999.

Tunisia's next generation of stars are already gaining experience at top international events. The African country have sent a team to three World Girls’ Youth Championships between 2007 and 2013, and in 2011 their team finished 16th at the World Women’s Junior Championship.