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 28) Riga
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$16,304,589 33rd in all-time rankings
Singles
Career record	371–224 (62.35%)
Career titles	8
Highest ranking	No. 5 (19 March 2018)
Current ranking	No. 15 (28 October 2024)
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	230–152 (60.21%)
Career titles	9
Highest ranking	No. 4 (28 October 2024)
Current ranking	No. 4 (28 October 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	F (2024, 2025)
French Open	SF (2022)
Wimbledon	SF (2022)
US Open	W (2024)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2022)
Olympic Games	1R (2021)
Mixed doubles
Career record	17–11 (60.71%)
Career titles	0
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2023)
French Open	1R (2017, 2018, 2023)
Wimbledon	F (2019)
US Open	QF (2022)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	37–21 (63.79%)
Medal record Representing a mixed-NOCs team Youth Olympic Games Bronze 2014 Nanjing Girls' doubles

Jeļena Ostapenko (born June 8, 1997) is a professional tennis player from Latvia. She is also known as Aļona. She has reached world No. 5 in singles and world No. 4 in doubles, which are her highest rankings ever.

Jeļena made history as the first Latvian player to win a Grand Slam title in singles. She won the 2017 French Open singles title. She was the first player not ranked among the top players (unseeded) to win the Roland Garros since 1933. She also won the doubles title at the 2024 US Open with her partner, Lyudmyla Kichenok from Ukraine.

Besides these major wins, she has won seven other singles titles and eight doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She also won many titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. In 2014, she won the junior singles event at Wimbledon. Jeļena is also a member of the Latvia Fed Cup team.

About Jeļena Ostapenko

Jeļena Ostapenko was born in Riga, Latvia. Her father, Jevgēnijs Ostapenko, was a former Ukrainian football player. Her mother, Jeļena Jakovļeva, is a tennis coach and used to play tennis. Jeļena has a half-brother named Maksim.

Her mother introduced her to tennis when she was five years old. Growing up, she looked up to the famous tennis player Serena Williams. Jeļena also started dancing at age five. She even competed in national ballroom dance championships in Latvia. When she was 12, she decided to focus on tennis. She believes that her dancing helped her with her good coordination and quick footwork on the court. Jeļena speaks Latvian, Russian, and English.

Her official name is Jeļena. However, her family and friends call her Aļona. When she was born, the name Aļona was not on the Latvian name calendar. So, she was named Jeļena, like her mother. Some authorities have said there were no rules against registering any name at that time. It might have been a misunderstanding. Fans in Latvia and other places have always called her Aļona. But her nickname became known in the West after her big win at Roland Garros in 2017. She uses her official name, Jeļena, for her professional career to avoid confusion.

Jeļena's Tennis Journey

2014: Junior Wimbledon Champion

Jeļena won the singles event at the junior Wimbledon Championships in 2014. She was ranked the No. 2 junior tennis player in the world that September. She played her first main match on the WTA Tour at the Tashkent Open. She got a special invitation, called a wildcard, to play there.

2015: First Grand Slam Matches

At the Ladies Neva Cup, Jeļena played through the qualifying rounds and won her biggest title so far.

At Wimbledon, she beat the ninth-seeded player, Carla Suárez Navarro, in the first round. This was her first win against a top-ten player. She then lost to Kristina Mladenovic.

She played at the US Open but lost in the second round. In September, she reached her first WTA Tour final at the Canadian Open. She finished the year ranked No. 79 in the world.

2016: Reaching a Big Final

Ostapenko at the 2016 Eastbourne International

Jeļena reached the final of the Premier 5 Qatar Ladies Open in Doha. On her way, she beat world No. 8, Petra Kvitová. She lost in the final, but her ranking went up to No. 41.

At the French Open, she was a seeded player for the first time at a Grand Slam. However, she lost her first match.

She made it to the semifinals in mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Oliver Marach. They lost to the champions of that year. Jeļena also played in her first Olympics at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. She ended the season ranked No. 44 in the world.

2017: French Open Champion and Top 10

At the Australian Open, she reached the third round of a major tournament for the first time.

At the French Open, Jeļena was ranked 47th in the world. She won several matches to reach the quarterfinals. She then beat Caroline Wozniacki to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal. She was the first Latvian female player to do this. She also was the first teenager in ten years to reach the French Open semifinals. She won her semifinal match on her birthday, June 8.

In the final, she played against Simona Halep. Jeļena came back from being down a set and 3–0 to win her first professional title! She became the first Latvian player to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. She was also the first unseeded woman to win the French Open since 1933. After this amazing win, her ranking went up to world No. 12.

At Wimbledon, Jeļena reached her second Grand Slam quarterfinal. She then lost to five-time champion Venus Williams.

At the US Open, she reached the third round. Her good performance helped her enter the top ten world rankings for the first time, at No. 10.

In September, she won her second career title at the Korea Open in Seoul. At the Wuhan Open, she beat the world No. 1, Garbiñe Muguruza. She ended the season ranked No. 7 in the world.

2018: World No. 5 and Wimbledon Semifinal

At Indian Wells, Jeļena reached the top 5 in the rankings.

At the Miami Open, she beat several top players to reach the final. She lost the final match.

Jeļena entered the French Open as the fifth seed. However, she lost in the first round and left the top ten rankings. At Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. She then won her quarterfinal match to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal. She lost to the player who eventually won the tournament. She ended the season ranked No. 22.

2019: Doubles Success

Ostapenko at the 2019 French Open

Jeļena had a tough start to 2019, losing in the first round of several tournaments, including the Australian Open and French Open. However, she reached the quarterfinals in doubles at the French Open with Lyudmyla Kichenok.

She also lost in the first round of Wimbledon singles. But in mixed doubles, she reached her first final with Robert Lindstedt. They lost the final match. After Wimbledon, her ranking dropped to No. 83, her lowest since 2016.

She had some success at the US Open. She reached her first Grand Slam third round of the season. At Beijing, she surprised the second seed, Karolína Plíšková, in the first round. She also reached her biggest women's doubles final there.

At Linz, Jeļena reached her first semifinal since 2018 Wimbledon. She made it to the final, where she lost. She then won her first title since 2017 at Luxembourg. She finished the year ranked No. 45.

2020–2021: First WTA 500 Title and Olympics

Jeļena played at the Australian Open. She reached the quarterfinals in doubles and the second round in mixed doubles.

Ostapenko at the 2021 French Open

In May 2021, Jeļena reached the semifinals in doubles at the Madrid Open. As a wildcard at the Eastbourne International, Jeļena won her fourth singles title.

At Wimbledon, she reached the third round. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Jeļena was a flagbearer for Latvia. She played in both singles and doubles but lost in the first round of both.

In September, she 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 Doubles Success

Jeļena reached the third round at the Australian Open. At the Dubai Championships, she had an amazing run. She defeated four Grand Slam champions to reach the final. She won the final, which was her fifth title. This win brought her back into the top 15 in singles. She also reached the doubles final at the same event.

At the French Open, she reached the semifinals of a Major in doubles for the first time. She partnered with Lyudmyla Kichenok.

At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round in singles. In doubles, she made it to the semifinals. At the Cincinnati Open, she and Lyudmyla Kichenok won their biggest doubles title together. This win helped Jeļena reach a new career-high doubles ranking of No. 7.

Jeļena and Kichenok also qualified for the 2022 WTA Finals, where they reached the semifinals. She ended the season ranked No. 18 in singles and No. 14 in doubles.

2023: Australian and US Quarterfinals

Jeļena became the first Latvian women's player to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. This was her fourth Major quarterfinal. She lost to the player who eventually reached the final.

In May, Jeļena reached her first Italian Open semifinal. This was her first clay court semifinal since winning the French Open in 2017.

At the Birmingham Classic, Jeļena won the trophy. At the US Open, she surprised the defending champion, Iga Świątek. This was her first win over a world No. 1 player since 2017. She reached her first quarterfinal at this Major. She then lost to the American teenager who eventually won the tournament.

2024: US Open Doubles Title and World No. 6 in Doubles

Jeļena reached the final at Adelaide and won her seventh singles title. This win brought her back into the top 10 in singles after five years.

At the Australian Open, she reached her first Grand Slam final in doubles with Lyudmyla Kichenok. She became the first Latvian finalist at the event.

She won her second title of the season at the Ladies Linz. This was the first time since 2017 that she won multiple titles in one season.

She reached her third singles quarterfinal at Wimbledon. In doubles, she also reached the quarterfinals.

At the US Open, she reached her second Grand Slam final of the season in doubles with Lyudmyla Kichenok. They won their first Grand Slam trophy together! They became the first Latvian and Ukrainian champions in women’s doubles at the US Open. Jeļena also became the first Latvian to win a Grand Slam title in doubles. As a result, she reached a new career-high of world No. 6 in the doubles rankings.

Jeļena and Kichenok qualified for the end-of-season WTA Finals.

2025: Australian Open Doubles Final

Partnering with Hsieh Su-wei, Jeļena reached the doubles final at the Australian Open.

How Jeļena Plays Tennis

Ostapenko at the 2016 US Open

Jeļena Ostapenko is known for her aggressive playing style. She hits the ball very hard and aims to win points quickly. Some people describe her style as "risky, aggressive, fun tennis."

She hits both her forehand and backhand shots with a lot of power and depth. Her backhand is considered a very strong shot. She tries to move her opponents around the court by hitting long shots to the corners and lines. Then, she changes direction to hit powerful winning shots. She often finishes points with a strong cross-court forehand, a down-the-line backhand, or a drop shot.

Because she plays so aggressively, she hits many winning shots. But she also makes many mistakes (unforced errors). At the 2017 French Open, where she won, she often hit between 35 and 45 winning shots in her matches. After that tournament, people compared her playing style to the famous player Monica Seles. Jeļena has said that "aggressive is my style of game."

Ostapenko serving during practice at the 2019 Sydney International

One area she sometimes struggles with is her serve. Her first serve is powerful, often around 106 miles per hour. But her second serve can be inconsistent. She sometimes hits many double faults (when both serves go out). This can happen because of nerves or if she throws the ball up incorrectly. However, she has worked on improving her serve.

Jeļena is the only player who has consistently beaten Iga Świątek, one of the top players in the world. As of May 2024, she has won all four of their matches.

Tennis Gear

Jeļena uses Wilson Blade racquets. She doesn't currently have a clothing sponsor. She used to be sponsored by Adidas and before that, by Nike. In 2022, she wore clothes from DK ONE, a Latvian brand.

Coaches

Jeļena is coached by her mother. She has also worked with other coaches. In 2017, she trained with Anabel Medina Garrigues. Later, she worked with David Taylor, who used to coach other famous players. In 2019, she started working with Marion Bartoli, a former Wimbledon champion. This partnership helped Jeļena reach two finals and win a title. After a break, Bartoli coached her again in 2021. Jeļena later started working with Ukrainian coach Stas Khmarsky.

Tennis Rivalries

Ekaterina Alexandrova

Jeļena Ostapenko and Ekaterina Alexandrova have played each other ten times since 2015. They have each won five matches.

Karolína Plíšková

Jeļena Ostapenko and Karolína Plíšková have played eleven times since 2016. Jeļena has won six of those matches, and Karolína has won five.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance in Singles

Grand Slam Performance in 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: 2 (1 Title, 2 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

Mixed Doubles: 1 (1 Runner–up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2019	Wimbledon	Grass	Robert Lindstedt	Latisha Chan Ivan Dodig	2–6, 3–6

Records

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

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Jeļena Ostapenko para niños