Jelena Ostapenko suggests that the key to success is to assert one’s own style on the opponent and play with fearlessness. The Latvian player admits that she learned this lesson after experiencing a mental block during her match against her “idol” Serena Williams.
Ostapenko, the winner of the 2017 French Open, has had an impressive start to the 2024 season, already securing two titles in Adelaide and Linz. With a record of 15-3 this year, the 26-year-old has returned to the top-10 rankings for the first time in five years.
Interestingly, Ostapenko has won all of her matches this year, except when facing Victoria Azarenka. Despite her losses to Azarenka at the Brisbane International, Australian Open, and Doha, Ostapenko’s performance in 2024 has been outstanding. Her game this year reminds fans of the style that earned her the Grand Slam title at a young age seven years ago.
“I used to win matches, especially in 2017, by applying pressure on my opponents, like in the French Open final. I played my game, although I made some mistakes, which is normal. I’m not a robot. I can miss some shots here and there,” Ostapenko shared in an interview.
“But the most important thing is to apply pressure on your own terms. Players like Sabalenka do this very well. I think she has found the right balance, which works for her. Our styles are somewhat similar, so she is a good example,” Ostapenko added.
In 2020, Ostapenko faced Serena Williams for the first time in her career during a Billie Jean King Cup tie. Although Ostapenko put up a strong fight, she ultimately lost in a tight two-set match. Reflecting on that experience, Ostapenko admits that she “respected Williams too much” during the match. However, it gave her valuable insight into what she needed to change in future matches.
“Sometimes, when you have too much respect for someone, it can put pressure on you. When we played Fed Cup in 2020, I was up against Serena, who had always been my idol. I lost to her, and I felt like I played really well. But in the tiebreak, in both sets, I thought to myself, ‘Oh my god, I’m playing Serena.’ She was always my idol. I realized that this mindset didn’t help me win,” Ostapenko explained.
“She can still be my idol, but when I play against her, I have to forget those feelings and see her as just another player.”
Since their meeting in 2020, Ostapenko hasn’t had another opportunity to play against her idol, Serena Williams. After a disappointing loss to Victoria Azarenka in the Doha round-of-16, Ostapenko began her campaign at the Dubai WTA 1000 event with a hard-fought victory over Wang Xiyu.
The match saw several breaks of serve in the opening games, with Ostapenko initially leading 2-1. However, after a series of breaks, Wang managed to turn the tide and win the first set. In the second set, Ostapenko shifted into a higher gear and won five consecutive games to take the set and force a decider.
Although Ostapenko missed a few break point opportunities early in the third set, she maintained her focus and eventually secured a crucial break in the seventh game. With a 5-3 lead and Wang serving to stay in the match, Ostapenko broke her opponent once again to complete her comeback victory.
In the next round of the Dubai tournament, Ostapenko will face Lulu Sun.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org