Jelena Ostapenko started the 2023 season in style with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the first round of the 2023 Adelaide International 1.
The 2017 French Open champion, who is currently ranked 18th in the world, posted an emotional tribute to his father on social media after his impressive victory.
Jevgenijs Ostapenko, who died in 2020, was a former Ukrainian football player who also served as his daughter’s fitness coach.
“Today is three years without you. I dedicate this victory to my dad. I love you and miss you. You will always be in my heart,” Jelena wrote on her Instagram story. increase.
Being Russian, Jelena Ostapenko’s mother has coached Latvian players in the past and her father played football for Ukrainian club FC Metalurh Zaporizhia in the city of Zaporizhia.
In 2020, Jelena Ostapenko withdrew from the WTA tournament in Auckland following the death of her father, but chose to play at the Australian Open, losing in the second round to Belinda Bencic.
The former world No. 5 has posted touching tributes to her father on social media after his death.
“You have been there since day one. Unfortunately life can take away the ones you love…you realize what you miss most when it is no longer there.Dear Dad, You will stay in my heart forever! I love you!” Ostapenko wrote in her post
Her victory over former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova set her up for a second-round match against Romania’s Irina Camellia Begu.
Elena Ostapenko’s best moments of 2022
Jelena Ostapenko failed to make it past the first round of the Sydney International, where she lost to Paula Vadosa in the 3rd round of the 2022 Australian Open, losing to Barbora Krejcikova.
The Latvian had a good run, reaching the semi-finals of the St. Petersburg Open before doing well in Dubai. The 25-year-old came out victorious in the first round before dominating her 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the second round.
Iga Swirtek’s 37-game winning streak is over. It was the first defeat in 136 days. His loss was against Jelena Ostapenko on 16 February in Dubai. https://t.co/hIaxIU6nsz
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova lost to Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals, while two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep also lost in a deciding set in the semifinals in Dubai.
After overtaking four Grand Slam champions by the final, the Riga-born player short-worked Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova to win 6-0, 6-4 in the final and clinch the title at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Did.
Jelena Ostapenko played one of the best weeks of her career, beating Veronika Kudermetova 6-0, 6-4 in the final to win the WTA 500 in Dubai. https://t.co/8DVOeRToyy
Annette Kontaveit did not allow Ostapenko to continue her juggernaut winning streak by winning the Qatar Open semifinals.
However, she reached the final at Eastbourne before losing to Petra Kvitova. Ostapenko also reached the final of the Koria Her Open in Seoul, where Ekaterina She lost to Alexandrova.
