Jelena Ostapenko admits she is always extra motivated to beat an opponent she “does not like.” Ostapenko is never shying away from revealing her true feelings and her attitude sometimes rubs her opponents the wrong way.
“When I play someone I don’t like, I really want to beat her. That makes me wanna leave everything on the court. For the players can work in different ways If you don’t like someone and It’s like your ‘enemy’
Some might get distracted, emotional, and get annoyed very quickly. I’m the kind of person that gets even more focused in that kind of situations,” Ostapenko told CLAY Tenis magazine.
Ostapenko on being disliked on the WTA Tour
Ostapenko, 25, has a bit of a reputation and it is not a secret that she is not among the most likable players in the locker room.
In January, Caroline Wozniacki revealed she “once practiced with Ostapenko and never again.” When Donna Vekic read Wozniacki’s comments, the Croatian tweeted: “Hahah, love you Caroline.” Last week in Abu Dhabi, Danielle Collins seemingly got very annoyed by Ostapenko and her team.
Clay Tenis asked Ostapenko whether she enjoys those moments when her opponents get annoyed with her attitude. “It’s not that I enjoy it. I just try not to waste my energy on things that I shouldn’t. Once I’m on the court I try to be focused on myself, not see what’s happening around, not getting distracted.
If you waste your energy on something else, it’s gonna be hard to bring it on the court,” Ostapenko explained. Meanwhile, Ostapenko is set to compete in Dubai. In the Dubai first round, Ostapenko will play Katarina Zavatska.
Last year, Ostapenko captured her first Dubai title after beating Veronika Kudermetova in the final. En route to winning Dubai last year, Ostapenko beat four Grand Slam champions. It remains to be seen if Ostapenko can defend her Dubai title this year.
