Ostapenko announces her intentions for Roland Garros: "Don't underestimate me"

Streaming ATP Geneva live tennis

🎾 Karen Khachanov vs Kei Nishikori

* You can watch and bet on this match live here..

 PUBLICIDAD

Jelena Ostapenko wants to be considered for Roland Garros 2025. The Latvian has not gone beyond the third round of the French Grand Slam since she lifted the title in 2017, but after a great clay court season, she hopes to break her streak and dream of her second major title. It may seem challenging, however, she claimed the title at the WTA 1000 in Stuttgart by defeating Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and Aryna Sabalenka in the final. So she already knows what it's like to beat the best tennis players in the world in a single tournament this year. This title allowed her to overcome an irregular start to the season.

"I always believed that I had the game to perform well. Honestly, I wanted the hard court season to end sooner because I don't enjoy it as much, to be honest. The tournaments in the Middle East are fantastic (she reached the final in Doha). Indian Wells was a great tournament. Miami is not one of my favorites, so I wanted it to end soon, especially because I haven't played well in these two tournaments," she says in an interview on the Roland Garros website.

She wants to be considered

Therefore, after her victory in Stuttgart, and despite her early exits in the second round of Madrid and the round of 16 in Rome, she sent a warning: "Do not underestimate me. I mean, sometimes, yes, because people do this and then you step onto the court and defeat good players, and probably they won't underestimate you anymore," Ostapenko warns.

The reason she doesn't want to be counted out is due to her performance on clay: "I have always known that I can play well on clay and I know how to move and slide. I just need to focus on the things I need to do," says the 28-year-old player, who has two titles on clay (Roland Garros 2017, Stuttgart 2025).

Despite being capable of defeating any of the top players in any tournament, as seen in Stuttgart, her ranking this week is at number 21, having reached number five in 2018. However, she claims to not pay attention to the rankings: "I think it's not just about the rankings. I believe it's more about the things I need to work on and have been working on, obviously, in recent months. And when everything falls into place, the result will come. Actually, it's not about the ranking."

Less demanding and kinder

Nevertheless, she admits to making a significant change in her tennis: "I used to be very hard on myself and very perfectionist. Every time I lost a point, I felt disappointed and sometimes angry. But now I feel I am kinder to myself, and that helps a lot. I believe the most important thing is to be in good contact with yourself. And that's when the results will come."

Ostapenko tends to show her emotions openly in every match, whether they are positive or negative. The Latvian supports athletes who display their emotions: "In general, when I watch sports, I have always liked emotional people, those who always show and share their emotions. I don't like people who just walk and don't show many emotions because it's very boring for me to watch those people doing sports. That's why I am always myself on the court. And I think that's what people like about me."

She is clear about who the player was always at 100% emotionally on the court: "I think Serena Williams is the best example. She embodies all those emotions, and I love that," concludes Ostapenko, warning of her intentions for Roland Garros and confessing her greatest motivation: "To enjoy defeating top players and showcasing my good tennis." We'll see if she achieves it in Paris.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ostapenko avisa de sus intenciones para Roland Garros: "No me subestiméis"