Jelena Ostapenko was a seemingly unknown WTA player before the french open. Despite her tremendous potential, she was somewhere around the 50th spot in the ranking before the French Open. But, the clay courts in Paris created a perfect environment in which the young Latvian hope thrived. Winning her maiden WTA title at Roland Garros put her on the radar.
The transition from clay to grass was not that difficult as she made it to the quarterfinals in Wimbledon where an experienced Venus Williams outplayed her. Now, as the action will progress on hard courts, Ostapenko is a name to keep an eye on.
Her playing style is perfectly suited for this surface. Her ability to produce high-speed strokes is dazzling, and she could be a danger to anyone in the field. Currently ranked 12th in the world, she is expected to climb even more by the end of the season and why not even earlier just in time for a top-seed spot before US Open.
Ostapenko is not at her best yet
The way Ostapenko chooses to play is a suicidal strategy for other hard hitters. Trying to finish a point in the first exchanges of a rally has its pros and cons. There is no doubt that rushing onto your opponent might produce some stress on his shoulders, but at the same time, there is an increase of the odds to make plenty unforced errors.
And a player like Ostapenko will always make dozens of errors throughout a match. The key to win is to keep the balance positive, which means that the amount of those errors must be below the winners' numbers. So far, she did great on this matter; the living proof is her being a Grand Slam champion at 20 years of age.
If she works on risk management strategy, she could become the best in the field in the years to come.
She has all the leverages on her side: age, skills, strength, motivation.
Ostapenko's numbers aren't impressive
Throughout this season alone, Jelena Ostapenko made it from nothing to all in a matter of weeks. Let's not forget that before the French Open she had to play in the qualifying stages in Rome ( Premier 5). But, once she reached a certain balance in the game, things have drastically changed in her favor.
Overall, she is 34-13 in win/ loss ratio but the upcoming months could see those numbers getting better. Winning a Major so early in her career may prove as a heal-all for the days to come. Moreover, such a success is the perfect way to get some validation and to establish yourself as a top player. With few points to defend next, her ranking might get even bigger. Two Premier 5 events and a Grand Slam provide the perfect opportunity to accumulate.
