‘It’s tougher to be fearless when you get older’ – Ostapenko on being a teenage Grand Slam champion
The former French Open champion reflected on her biggest win so far coming so early in her career
Tennis – WTA 500 – Stuttgart Open – Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany – April 18, 2023 Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko celebrates after winning her round of 32 match against Britain’s Emma Raducanu (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)
At the age of 25, Jelena Ostapenko is a seasoned veteran of the tour. In her second appearance at Roland-Garros, a handful of days after her 20th birthday in 2017, she won the title, going on to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon a few weeks afterwards.
Since then, her most significant tournament successes have been in the doubles format – and after beating Emma Raducanu 6-2, 6-1, the Latvian had some reflective words for the press at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
“I was kind of fearless [in 2017]. I was not thinking too much,” she said. “I felt today a little bit that way. I was just like going for the shots. Even I was missing, I was, like, It’s fine, I will still go for the shots. That was the main thing because it took time away from [Raducanu], and it was much harder for her to play against me.
“Probably to bring back this fearless, but of course it’s tougher when you get older. You start to think more and of course you want to play better and more consistent. When you have more thoughts, it sometimes doesn’t end up better for you.”
Ostapenko: I was ready for this match
The 25-year-old will play Ons Jabeur in the next round, which she acknowledged would be a challenge.
“I think of course she’s a great player. It’s never easy, but I will try to just play my game and focus on myself and enjoy the match. For sure, it’s going to be a good match.”
With a smile, she confirmed that she was having a trial with coach Eduardo Bengoechea, and added: ” I just enjoyed it today because, as I said, I played well. I was just very focused from the beginning of the match, as I said, because I expected a tough battle. It’s never easy to play against Emma.
“Yeah, I think it’s more about mental and how much I was ready for the match. If I’m this much ready for every single match, then I think I can play well.”
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