Jelena Ostapenko and Victoria Azarenka’s match once again had its fair share of drama as the Latvian declined to shake hands with the Belarusian after their Doha encounter.
On Wednesday, former world No. 1 Azarenka defeated eighth-seeded Ostapenko 6-0 6-3 in the round-of-16 in Doha. Right after securing the victory, Azarenka turned to her team and gestured towards her head, indicating that her mindset played a crucial role in her triumph against Ostapenko.
As Azarenka approached Ostapenko at the net for a handshake, the Latvian hesitated but instead offered her racket for a tap, rather than her hand. Upon noticing Ostapenko’s gesture, Azarenka simply turned her head and walked away. It can be assumed that Azarenka perceived Ostapenko’s actions as disrespectful.
For world No. 11 Ostapenko, this was her third loss of the season to Azarenka. Currently, Azarenka holds a 5-0 head-to-head record against Ostapenko, having previously defeated the 26-year-old Latvian in their initial two meetings in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
The Doha match was anticipated to be a closely contested battle. However, Azarenka came out with great intensity and completely dominated Ostapenko, not dropping a single game in the first set.
Following her loss in the first set, Ostapenko had opportunities to make a comeback in the second set. Unfortunately, she missed out on three break points in the opening game of the set and two more break points in the fifth game. Ostapenko paid the price for squandering these early break points, as Azarenka secured the first break of the set in the eighth game, taking a 5-3 lead before serving out the match in the subsequent game.
In their first tournament of the season, Ostapenko and Azarenka faced each other in the quarterfinals of Brisbane, where Azarenka emerged victorious with a scoreline of 6-3 3-6 7-5. At 4-4 in the third set and with Azarenka having an advantage on her serve, Ostapenko believed that the ball had touched the surface twice before Azarenka played it back.
The chair umpire did not make a call, and Azarenka ultimately won the point. This led Ostapenko to lose her temper and direct her frustration towards chair umpire Julie Kjendlie.
After their Australian Open match, Azarenka commented on Ostapenko’s behavior, stating, “I think it’s something you kind of expect.” Ostapenko’s actions did not seem to affect her performance consistently. According to Azarenka, Ostapenko displays the same behavior regardless of whether she is winning or losing. Azarenka believes that this is simply how Ostapenko deals with herself on the court and does not pass judgment on her. Azarenka’s focus is solely on playing the match and, if possible, destabilizing Ostapenko to enhance her own performance and chances of winning.
Despite any tension that may exist between Azarenka and Ostapenko, the Belarusian acknowledges Ostapenko’s skills as a player. Azarenka recognizes Ostapenko as a great and dangerous player, a champion, and a Grand Slam winner. Azarenka also mentions their recent meeting in Brisbane, which was a tough battle.
After participating in five tournaments this year, Ostapenko boasts a record of 14-3. Notably, Ostapenko has emerged victorious in every match in which Azarenka was not her opponent in 2024.
In the two tournaments where Ostapenko did not face Azarenka this year, she managed to win the title in Adelaide and Linz.
Considering that they have already played against each other three times in just a month and a half into the season, it is highly likely that Ostapenko and Azarenka will meet again in the remaining months of the year.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org