Jeļena Ostapenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jeļena Ostapenko

Ostapenko at the 2022 French Open
Native name	Jeļena Ostapenko
Country (sports)	Latvia
Residence	Riga, Latvia
Born	(1997-06-08) 8 June 1997 (age 29) Riga, Latvia
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro	2012
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Stas Khmarsky Jeļena Jakovļeva
Prize money	US$ 19,351,781 29th all-time in earnings
Singles
Career record	396–253 (61.02%)
Career titles	9
Highest ranking	No. 5 (19 March 2018)
Current ranking	No. 31 (3 July 2026)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2023)
French Open	W (2017)
Wimbledon	SF (2018)
US Open	QF (2023)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2017)
Olympic Games	1R (2016, 2021, 2024)
Doubles
Career record	287–174 (62.26%)
Career titles	12
Highest ranking	No. 3 (14 July 2025)
Current ranking	No. 13 (23 February 2026)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	F (2024, 2025)
French Open	SF (2022)
Wimbledon	F (2025)
US Open	W (2024)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2022, 2025)
Olympic Games	1R (2021)
Mixed doubles
Career record	17–11 (60.71%)
Career titles	1
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2023)
French Open	1R (2017, 2018, 2023)
Wimbledon	W (2026)
US Open	QF (2022)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	37–21 (63.79%)

Jeļena Ostapenko, also known as Aļona, is a talented professional tennis player from Latvia. She was born on June 8, 1997. She reached a high ranking of world No. 5 in singles in March 2018. In doubles, she achieved a career-high ranking of No. 3 in July 2025. Jeļena has won many important tennis tournaments. This includes nine singles titles on the WTA Tour. Her biggest singles win was a major title at the French Open in 2017. She has also won 13 doubles titles. These include two major titles: the US Open in women's doubles with Lyudmyla Kichenok in 2024, and the Wimbledon Championships in mixed doubles with Marcelo Arévalo in 2026. She is currently the top-ranked player from Latvia.

Jeļena also won the junior singles event at the Wimbledon Championships in 2014. She has won many other titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. She proudly represents her country as a member of the Latvia Billie Jean King Cup team.

About Jeļena Ostapenko

Early Life and Interests

Jeļena Ostapenko was born in Riga, Latvia, on June 8, 1997. Her father, Jevgēnijs Ostapenko, was a professional footballer. Her mother, Jeļena Jakovļeva, is a tennis coach and former player. Jeļena has a half-brother named Maksim.

Jeļena started playing tennis when she was five years old. Her mother introduced her to the sport. She looked up to tennis star Serena Williams as she grew up. At the same age, she also began dancing. She even competed in national ballroom dance championships in Latvia. When she turned 12, she decided to focus mainly on tennis. She believes her dancing background helped her develop great coordination and quick footwork on the court. Jeļena can speak Latvian, Russian, and English.

Her official name is Jeļena. However, her family and friends often call her Aļona. She uses her legal name, Jeļena, for her professional tennis career.

Jeļena's Tennis Journey

2014: Junior Champion and First Pro Match

Jeļena won the singles event at the junior Wimbledon Championships in 2014. She became the world's No. 2 junior tennis player that September. She played her first main professional tournament at the Tashkent Open. There, she earned her first professional win.

2015: Grand Slam Debut

At the Wimbledon Championships, Jeļena defeated a top-ten player, Carla Suárez Navarro. This was a big win for her. She reached her first WTA Tour final at the Canadian Open. She finished the year ranked No. 79 in the world.

2016: Reaching a Major Final

Ostapenko at the 2016 Eastbourne International

Jeļena reached the final of the Qatar Ladies Open in Doha. She beat world No. 8, Petra Kvitová, on her way. She then rose to No. 41 in the world rankings. She also made it to the semifinals in mixed doubles at Wimbledon. Jeļena made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. She ended the season ranked No. 44.

2017: French Open Champion and Top 10

Ostapenko with her 2017 French Open title

At the Australian Open, Jeļena reached the third round of a major tournament for the first time. At the French Open, ranked 47th, she made it to her first Grand Slam semifinal. She was the first Latvian female player to do so. She then won the final against Simona Halep. This was her first professional title. She became the first Latvian player to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. With this win, she reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 12.

At Wimbledon, she reached her second Grand Slam quarterfinal. She then made her top-ten debut in the world rankings at No. 10. She won her second career title at the Korea Open in Seoul. She also beat the world No. 1, Garbiñe Muguruza, at the Wuhan Open. She ended the season ranked No. 7 in the world.

2018: World No. 5 and Wimbledon Semifinal

Jeļena reached the final of the Miami Open. This helped her reach a career-high ranking of world No. 5. At Wimbledon, she reached her first Wimbledon semifinal. She ended the season ranked No. 22.

2019: Doubles Achievements

Ostapenko at the 2019 French Open

Jeļena reached the quarterfinals of the doubles event at the French Open. At Wimbledon, she reached her first mixed-doubles final. She also reached the final of the doubles at Jūrmala. She won her first title since 2017 at the Luxembourg Open. She ended the year ranked No. 45.

2020–2021: Eastbourne Title and Olympics

Ostapenko at the 2021 French Open

Jeļena reached her first quarterfinal of 2020 at Strasbourg. She progressed past the first round of the French Open for the first time since 2017.

In 2021, she won her fourth title at the Eastbourne International. She was a flagbearer for Latvia at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She also reached the final of the Luxembourg Open. She ended the year by winning the doubles title at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

2022: Major Semifinals and Top 10 in Doubles

Jeļena reached the third round at the Australian Open. At the Dubai Championships, she won her fifth title. She defeated four Grand Slam champions on her way to the final. She returned to the top 15 in singles. In doubles, she reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time.

At the Cincinnati Open, she won her biggest doubles title. As a result, Jeļena made her top 10 debut in doubles. She reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 7 in September 2022. She and her partner qualified for the 2022 WTA Finals. They reached the semifinals. She ended the season ranked No. 18 in singles and No. 14 in doubles.

2023: Australian and US Open Quarterfinals

Jeļena became the first Latvian woman to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. This was her fourth major quarterfinal. In May, she reached her first Italian Open semifinal. She won the Birmingham Classic title.

At the US Open, she upset the defending champion Iga Świątek. This was her first quarterfinal at this major. She also reached the quarterfinals of the China Open.

2024: US Open Doubles Title and World No. 6

Jeļena reached the final at Adelaide. She returned to the top 10 in singles after five years. She won her seventh singles title there. At the Australian Open, she reached her first major final in doubles. She became the first Latvian finalist at that event.

She won her second title of the season at the Ladies Linz. At Wimbledon, she reached her third singles quarterfinal. At the US Open, she won her first Grand Slam trophy in women's doubles with Lyudmyla Kichenok. This made her the first Latvian to win a Grand Slam title in doubles. She reached a new career-high of world No. 6 in doubles.

2025: Second Qatar Final and World No. 3 in Doubles

Partnering Hsieh Su-wei, Jeļena reached the doubles final at the Australian Open. She won the doubles title at the Abu Dhabi with Ellen Perez. At the Qatar Ladies Open, she reached the quarterfinals. She then defeated world No. 2, Iga Świątek, in the semifinal.

Partnering Erin Routliffe, she won the doubles title at the Charleston Open. She also won the Stuttgart Open singles title. Partnering Hsieh Su-wei, she reached the doubles final at Wimbledon. During a match at the US Open, there was a disagreement with her opponent. Jeļena later apologized for her comments.

2026: Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Title

Jeļena started her 2026 season by winning the doubles title at the Brisbane International. She teamed up with Hsieh Su-wei for this win. In February, she reached the semifinals at the Qatar Ladies Open.

At the Linz Open in April, she reached the quarterfinals. The following week, she reached the doubles final at the Stuttgart Grand Prix. Jeļena reached the quarterfinals at the Italian Open. She also made it to the semifinals at the Eastbourne Open.

Teaming up with Marcelo Arévalo, she won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon.

Playing Style: Aggressive and Powerful

Ostapenko at the 2016 US Open

Jeļena Ostapenko is known for her very aggressive tennis style. She likes to hit the ball hard and try to win points quickly. Many people describe her approach as "see ball, hit winner." Her game is exciting, powerful, and sometimes risky.

Both her forehand and backhand shots are hit with great power. She aims for the corners of the court. This makes it tough for her opponents to reach the ball. She often finishes points with strong shots or clever drop shots. Because she plays so aggressively, she hits many winning shots. However, this style can also lead to more errors.

At the 2017 French Open, where she won her first major title, Jeļena hit many winners in her matches. She once said that "aggressive is my style of game." Her powerful groundstrokes often leave opponents struggling to keep up.

Ostapenko serving during practice at the 2019 Sydney International

One area she has worked on is her serve. Her first serve can be very fast, sometimes over 100 miles per hour. This allows her to hit aces. However, her second serve can sometimes be inconsistent. Despite this, she has shown improvements in her serving over time.

Jeļena has a unique record against Iga Świątek, one of the top players. As of April 2025, Jeļena had won all six of their matches. Her powerful style often challenges Świątek's game.

Tennis Gear

Equipment and Sponsors

Jeļena Ostapenko uses Wilson Blade racquets. For her clothing and shoes, she has had sponsors like Adidas and Nike in the past. In 2022, she wore clothing from DK ONE, a brand from Latvia, during major tournaments.

Coaching Team

Jeļena's Coaches

Jeļena Ostapenko's main coach is her mother, Jeļena Jakovļeva. Over the years, she has also worked with other experienced coaches. In 2017, she trained with Anabel Medina Garrigues, a former French Open doubles champion. Later, she worked with David Taylor for major tournaments.

In 2019, she teamed up with Marion Bartoli, a Wimbledon champion. This partnership helped Jeļena reach two finals and win a title. After a break, Bartoli coached her again in 2021. Jeļena later began working with Ukrainian coach Stas Khmarsky.

Key Rivalries

Matches Against Top Players

Jeļena has had many exciting matches against other top players.

Rivalry with Ekaterina Alexandrova

Jeļena Ostapenko and Ekaterina Alexandrova have played each other eleven times since 2015. Jeļena has won six of these matches, while Alexandrova has won five.

Rivalry with Karolína Plíšková

Jeļena Ostapenko and Karolína Plíšková have also met eleven times since 2016. Jeļena leads this rivalry with six wins to Plíšková's five.

Rivalry with Iga Świątek

Jeļena Ostapenko and Iga Świątek have played six times since 2019. Jeļena has won every single match against Świątek. This makes her the only active player with an undefeated record against Świątek in multiple matches. Their matches have been on all types of court surfaces. Jeļena's aggressive style often makes it difficult for Świątek to play her best.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance

Singles

Doubles

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 1 (1 title)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2017	French Open	Clay	Simona Halep	4–6, 6–4, 6–3

Doubles: 4 (1 title, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2024	Australian Open	Hard	Lyudmyla Kichenok	Hsieh Su-wei Elise Mertens	1–6, 5–7
Win	2024	US Open	Hard	Lyudmyla Kichenok	Kristina Mladenovic Zhang Shuai	6–4, 6–3
Loss	2025	Australian Open	Hard	Hsieh Su-wei	Kateřina Siniaková Taylor Townsend	2–6, 7–6(7–4), 3–6
Loss	2025	Wimbledon	Grass	Hsieh Su-wei	Veronika Kudermetova Elise Mertens	6–3, 2–6, 4–6

Mixed Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2019	Wimbledon	Grass	Robert Lindstedt	Latisha Chan Ivan Dodig	2–6, 3–6
Win	2026	Wimbledon	Grass	Marcelo Arevalo	Storm Hunter Marc Polmans	4–6, 7–5, 6–2

Career Records

Between 2016 and 2019, Jeļena was the only player to win a Grand Slam title (the 2017 French Open) but lose in the first round three other times at the same tournament. This streak ended in 2020 when she advanced to the second round.

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Jeļena Ostapenko para niños