Jelena Ostapenko has made headlines in the tennis world by becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012 to defeat both the world number one and number two players in the same claycourt event. She just did something incredible at the Stuttgart Open. She ended up beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final after beating dual French Open champ and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. This victory marks Ostapenko’s ninth career title. It is her second win on clay, further cementing her status as a serious contender as the clay season begins to heat up.
Ostapenko’s journey to winning the Stuttgart Open highlighted her remarkable talents and irritability. She went up against Swiatek, the defending French Open champion, in a tense quarterfinal clash and won, shocking everyone. Earlier this year she beat Swiatek en route to the Doha final. She did come up short in that semifinal against Amanda Anisimova that day. Those two recent victories have pushed Ostapenko six spots up the world rankings to 18th, telling of her recent momentum.
Confidence Fuels Performance
From the first game of the very first match of the Stuttgart Open, Ostapenko was brimming with swagger. She realized this new confidence came from racing without any pressure to perform.
“I had enough pressure in my career. I didn’t feel it even though it was the final. In my mind, I was just playing a match.” – Jelena Ostapenko
This way of thinking has served her incredibly well this season. It helps her to focus on her process not giving in to what’s outside of you. She expressed optimism about her game, stating, “I think I’m improving day by day and I’m playing better and better. I think I deserve it.”
Ostapenko is looking to build off of her success ahead of her debut in Madrid. She is clinging to hopes for a second deep run at Roland Garros—the site of her only Grand Slam title, eight years ago. She knows that tennis can be very unpredictable, but she always goes into each match with a fighting spirit.
A Dark Horse for Roland Garros
The Latvian’s new-found consistency has set her up as a dark horse to watch in the run-up to Roland Garros. She wins imposing top-ranked players with a fresh face. In addition to her confidence on the clay, she is surely a player to watch as the French Open nears.
“I will take it match by match, but anything can happen,” she remarked, indicating her readiness to tackle the challenges ahead. It’s been her recent performances that have gotten tennis fans buzzing. Combined with her recent success at the French Open, they’re a seductive story for writers.
Jelena Ostapenko, preparing for action in Madrid this week. We can’t wait to see how she’ll put her stamp on the clay season! As she attempts to make it to Paris a second time, both her fans and her rivals will be watching closely to see what comes next.
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