"Nothing personal... I'm pissed I lost" - Jelena Ostapenko explains her cold post-match handshakes, credits 'champion's mentality' for frosty behavior
Jelena Ostapenko has shed light on the reasons behind her often doling out a cold handshake to her opponent after a loss. The Latvian cedited her competitive spirit and champion mindset for her behavior, asserting that her bitterness and anger over losing prevent her from being friendly with her opponent at the net.
Ostapenko is delivering an impressive run at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, claiming commanding straight-set wins over Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Snigur and Bernarda Pera. The 13th seed produced a dominant display in the fourth round as well, beating Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Following her win over Putintseva, the Latvian appeared on the Tennis Channel and opened up about her occasional frosty post-match interactions with her opponent. The 27-year-old has often found herself embroiled in controversy over her conduct at the net.
Earlier this year at the Qatar Open, she invited criticism for offering Victoria Azarenka a racket tap instead of the customary handshake, which was summarily declined by the Belarusian.
Jelena Ostapenko explained that the profound disappointment she feels after a loss makes shaking hands with her opponent the last thing she wants to do afterwards.
"When I lose, I'm really disappointed and honestly I have to shake hands but that's the last thing I want to do at that moment," Jelena Ostapenko said.
While acknowledging the need for improvement in this regard, the Latvian emphasized that her "champion's mentality" causes significant frustration when her efforts result in a loss.
Nevertheless, Ostapenko clarified that her cold behavior isn't due to any personal animosity towards her opponents but rather a manifestation of her anger and disappointment.
"Yeah, I mean I probably should be better in this but I'm really like disappointed after the loss because my mentality is like a champion's mentality. Especially if I was fighting until the last point and I lost the match, I'm really angry," she said.
"It's nothing personal to the opponents, I'm just really disappointed at that moment. It's just that I'm pissed I lost and I'm like, 'I really don't want to do this,'" she added.
Jelena Ostapenko to take on Barbora Krejcikova in Wimbledon QF
Aiming to match her career-best result at the Wimbledon Championships, Jelena Ostapenko will battle it out against Barbora Krejcikova for a place in the semifinals. Krejcikova claimed a commanding 7-5, 6-3 win over Danielle Collins to book her place in the quarterfinals of the grasscourt Major.
Ostapenko will enter the clash with an air of confidence, having emerged victorious in five of her seven tour-level encounters against the Czech. Their most recent meeting took place on grass in the 2023 Birmingham final, where the Latvian secured a 7-6(8), 6-4 victory.
Should Jelena Ostapenko extend her winning record against Barbora Krejcikova, she will await the winner of the blockbuster clash between Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina in the semifinals at SW19.