Wimbledon, England
Jelena Ostapenko, this year’s French Open champion, hits the ball as hard as anyone and she loves to smash winners. But at Wimbledon, she’s revealed something more impressive: Sometimes going for less brings you more, especially when you’re not playing well.
Ostapenko, 20 years old, advanced to the fourth round on Thursday with a wild victory over ball-crusher Camila Giorgi, 7-5, 7-5. Ostapenko trailed in both sets—5-3 and 5-2—and, as is her style lately, came back in each sets with crisp tennis. Ostapenko even survived loud noise from Giorgi’s father Sergio (who is also her coach) and others in the stands.
“Her box was quite loud,” Ostapenko said. “Couple of times they were, like, shouting before my serve. That’s why I got a bit disappointed.”
As close as Ostapenko was to losing both sets, the match was a major improvement from her previous two rounds where she struggled even more: She made 38 unforced errors in the second-round, a huge amount at Wimbledon, where missed shots are often generously classified by the statisticians as tough misses, not mistakes. In the first round, she made 22 errors and also needed three sets.
Most consider Ostapenko a slugger who thumps every shot as much as possible. But she’s more complex than that. At Wimbledon, she has struck fewer winners than she did in Paris, despite the fact that on grass courts, winners tend to pile up. She hit 22 winners in her first match, 29 in her second and 22 in her third. At the French Open this year, she clubbed 55, 31 and 25 in her first three matches. Yes, that’s 38 more winners on clay courts rather than grass. Her explanation is simple.
“I don’t think I play like I hit every ball that hard,” she said. “I try to play . . . consistent and to think on court.” She added: “And of course follow the score, not to hit, like, every ball.”
Ostapenko’s confidence is rising, which is a surprise for a 20-year-old who won her first Grand Slam title last month. Major championships usually create letdowns for young players, either by making them nervous or irrationally overconfident. Ostapenko somehow doesn’t mind any of this.
“I kind of just tried to play free, not to think too much,” she said. “After French I’m more confident, so I’m playing every match better and better.”
Up next for Ostapenko: Elina Svitolina, the 22-year-old #4 seed. If Ostapenko wins, she could meet Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. Williams, a five-time Wimbledon singles winner, is 37 years old and has not won here since 2008. On Friday she beat a 19-year-old talent, Naomi Osaka, in straight sets, 7-6(3), 6-4. Williams said she felt lucky to win.
“I don’t think either of us is thinking about the age,” Williams said. “You’re thinking about, How do I win? She played an amazing match today. She really played a match that was worth—she deserved to win.”
