World No. 11 Jelena Ostapenko has regained her composure. But is she really gone?
The 26-year-old big-time Latvian has already won two titles on the Hologic WTA Tour after cleaning up in Adelaide and Linz. With her 14 wins, she is behind only Elena Rybakina, who ranks fourth for most wins on tour. It was a great return to form for one of the enigmatic talents in her game.
“Especially in 2017, I feel like I was winning matches by putting a lot of pressure on my opponent, like in the French Open final,” Ostapenko said on the WTA Insider podcast. “I was still playing my game. Of course I'm going to miss a few balls, which is normal. I'm not a robot. I'm going to miss a few balls here and there. We’re going to miss some balls here as well.”
“But the important thing is to put pressure on yourself. There are players like Sabalenka and she is playing very well. I think she has found the right balance and that is working well for her. I feel like our styles are a little bit similar, so she's a great example of that.”
Ostapenko joined the WTA Insider Podcast from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where she was champion in 2022. She explained what worked well in her own game, her innate confidence, and she recalled her nervous experience when playing against her idol Serena Williams. first time.
“If you respect someone too much, it can create pressure,” Ostapenko said. “When we played Fed Cup in Everett, [in 2020], I was playing against Serena, and she's always been my idol. I lost to her 6-7, 6-7. I felt like she was playing really well. When it came to the tiebreak, in both sets, in her head she thought, “Oh my god, I'm playing Serena.'' She has always been my idol. She felt like she couldn't win with this.
“She may be my idol, but when you play against her you have to forget about those things and just look at her as a player.”
Finally, the conversation detours into Ostapenko's fashion habits. From Dior and Chanel to Zara and American Girlfriend Eagle, Ostapenko is keen to rely on her intuition.
“As long as you put your clothes together and look good, it doesn't matter how much you wear. As long as you put your clothes together and look good, that's what matters.”
Listen to the full episode below.
Subscribe to the WTA Insider Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
