“Not Easy to Beat Me”: Jelena Ostapenko Fires Warning to Rivals at French Open 2020

The 2017 French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko defeated 78th ranked Madison Brengle in the first round of French Open 2020. This is Ostapenko’s first win at the French Open in two years.

Ostapenko has had to battle with inconsistency but has won her first match at the French Open since winning the title in 2017. The Latvian has struggled a lot since 2017, becoming ineffective at the Grand Slams. But now, she will hope that she can get the consistency and surge her way upwards.

“I just have to be more confident in my game and more consistent. If there is consistency in my game, I think I’m going to be a very dangerous player and it’s going to be not easy to beat me,” Ostapenko said in her press conference.

Jelena Ostapenko vows to be consistent at French Open 2020

Ostapenko has strived to work on her consistency and break into the top 10 once again. She sent a warning across the draw that she would be hard to beat if she hits her 2017 levels.

“That’s what I’m working on, my consistency. Sometimes I feel like I play well, and then some matches I don’t play well. But if I get my consistency back like in 2017 and beginning of 2018, I think I’ll be back in like top 10.

“After I won it was a tough time. I had to get used to the pressure but now it’s all gone, and finally, I won my first match after two years, like, not winning a match here. I’m really happy with that.”

Ostapenko will play World No. 4 and 2nd seed Karolina Pliskova in the second round. Looking at their head-to-head, Pliskova just edges the contest 3-2. In their last meeting in 2019, Ostapenko had defeated Pliskova in three sets in Beijing.

Pliskova looked a bit shaky in her first-round match at French Open 2020 but she had the goods to overcome 172nd ranked Mayar Sherif.

With Ostapenka breaking her 1st round hoodoo on the red dirt of Paris, she could surprise everyone again as she had done in 2017. By winning the title she had become the first unseeded player to win the French Open in the Open Era and had also become the lowest-ranked player to win the French Open. So, she has the pedigree to do the unbelievable but has just been lacking consistency.

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