A hurricane has shaken the peace here US Open.a hurricane named “hurricane” Jelena Ostapenkowho gave Biggest favorites in the tournament so far And caused quite a shock in the WTA arena.Is this the 21st in the world? Relegated to Iga Swiatektop seed and defending champion, and Sentenced to end 75-week rule World ranking of Poles.
The 26-year-old Latvian, who reached the quarter-finals with a 4-0 victory over the Poles in a landslide, warned she was on her way back to the forefront of tennis and could face a to a huge challenge. The expectations created when it hit the track six years ago are ultimately forgotten.
In mid-2017, Ostapenko was the protagonist of an unexpected dedication, called number one and dominating the track. Roland Garros Just 20 years and two days old – she’s the youngest champion since Ana Ivanovic In 2007, it was the first unseeded team since 1933 and featured aggressive and powerful tennis.
He beat Romania in the final Simona HalepRanked third, she won her first championship in her life and became a star overnight. She doesn’t know how to deal with this new reality.
Jelena Ostapenko celebrates her win over Swiiatek.Photo: AFP“My life changed when I won in Paris. I needed time to adapt to everything. It was not easy because I was only 20 years old. It’s hard to adjust to so much attention and stress. Everyone wants you to win every game, every game, but that’s not possible because you’re human and you can’t win every day,” she recalled after her victory over Swatek.
For Latvians, adjusting to a new life is difficult. This is also reflected in the results. Last few years, his career was full of irregularities: He had a solid week and then failed miserably in the first round. After taking his fifth step in March 2018, the year he reached the semifinals in 2018, he won enough titles (five more titles) to stay in the top 100. wimbledon. But he has no continuity, he loses confidence, The bright future that was prophesied did not come.
With a very large backpack on her back, Jelena started to gain attention for other reasons. He returned to the track in 2019 after ending last season prematurely with a left wrist injury, he was severely criticized for his physiquedoes not fit the “model” of tall and thin players (eg Elena Ribakina) or ruggedized (such as Alina Sabalenka). And his colorful, extravagant costumes. But she turned a deaf ear to the negative comments.
In 2017, Ostapenko was happy after his coronation in Paris. PhotoEFE/EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH “The only thing that matters to me is having a good time on the pitch. Most of the time I don’t care what people say. If people know who you are, they’ll talk about you; good or bad, but they’ll always talk. If no one talks about you, it’s because you’re not interesting anymore’, he commented earlier this year.
He added: “I think there are too many similar players on tour. They all want to be like everyone else. I love characters like that serena williams, who has a fabulous personality. For me, all players should be special, they all have to be themselves. “
Ostapenko not only avoided vicious attacks on his appearance (a very common problem in tennis and professional sports), but also defended himself. It also stood firm in the face of some criticism (and in this case, some justified). Controversial Attitudes and Controversial Statements This is common in his career.
exist Wimbledon 2021for example, has a strong crossover with Australia Alja Tomlyanovicwho previously accused her of referee Trailing 0-4 in the third set, feigning an injury and calling in a doctor to cool the game down.
last year she was booed all england She threw a bottle of water viciously on a chair after losing to the Germans in the round of 16 Maria Tajana. Not long after, she assured her opponent that she was “lucky” winning and that she was a “better player,” something she’d said to fellow colleagues several times before, earning her the “bad loser” badge .
He was again at the center of controversy this year after losing to Rebacca in the semi-finals in Rome. After the game, the Kazakh greeted awkwardly online, then gestured to the referee. referee As if calling his attention to Ostapenko’s statement. Not long after, Rebakina’s coach revealed the problem: “He told her: “You’re a fucking bitch” right in front of me. “
In an interview with Clay last February, he reflected: “When I play against people I don’t like, I really want to beat them. I don’t like making my opponent angry, I just try not to waste my energy on things I shouldn’t be doing. I talk, yell something, I don’t know. Of course sometimes it shouldn’t, but it’s hard to say. I am very excited. “
Ostapenko had an unusual situation at this U.S. Open when kicked out a spectator their third round game against local teams Bernarda Pera. “When he served the ball, he started yelling like crazy. And not one or two words, but two or three words in a row. Of course, the referee told him to shut up. He got up and left, so I told him it was him. Yes,” said the Latvian.
Footage of the meeting shows her gesturing with her arm, pointing at the man, before placing her hand on her temple as if to say he was crazy.
But with her newfound fame and some controversy, Ostapenko continued to work on her tennis career. His serve has improved a lot — it was very weak when it broke out in 2017 — Developed a more complete game And learn to adapt to different situations during the game. In the past, if Plan A couldn’t come out, he lost his way. Little by little, he is returning to the elite.
in january, in Australia After four and a half years, he again finished fourth in a Grand Slam. He played in the U.S. Open at the last minute on Sunday, and now he’s hoping to go one step further.
“I’m more mature, I don’t feel the pressure that I used to feel,” said the man, who will play in the semifinals in New York on Tuesday, no less than against coco goughthe public’s favorite place.
“Before the U.S. tour, I practiced really hard. I felt like I was doing well in a lot of tournaments, but when I got here, it didn’t work out – he admitted -. I kept working, Worked until finally my game was back to what it was.” Place. I feel good. I played more freely, in a good way, without thinking too much. and enjoy it. “