From a young age, Jelena Ostapenko showed immense promise. Her powerful groundstrokes and fierce competitive spirit made her a standout on the junior circuit. But transitioning to the professional level brought its own set of hurdles. However, the battles on the court were just a part of her story. Off the court, Ostapenko faced personal struggles that would have broken many.

The Latvian tennis star is known not just for her fierce gameplay, but the humility she depicts on and off the court as well. But her world was shaken when she lost her dad in early January 2020. Jevgēnijs Ostapenko passed away suddenly on January 3rd at the age of 43, when her tennis-playing daughter was poised to play at the ASB Classic in Auckland. Ostapenko quickly pulled out of the tournament and flew back to her home in Latvia.

The then 23-year-old had penned a heartfelt message to pay tribute to her father. Sharing an old picture of herself with her dad, Jelena had written, “You were there since Day 1. Unfortunately, life can take away your loved ones…you realize what you miss the most when it’s not there anymore. Dear Dad, you will stay forever in my heart! Love you! ♥️🙏🏻.” This year marked the fourth anniversary of her dad’s demise and Ostapenko proved once again, that her love for her father is immortal. 

After winning her match against Camelia Giorgi 6-1 6-4, Ostapenko dedicated her victory to her had. Sharing a picture that was taken with her dad when she was a kid, the tennis player paid a heartwarming tribute to her father. “Today’s win was very special for me 🙏. Four years without you Dad. This win is for you 😞♥️,” Ostapenko captioned her Instagram Story. The father-daughter bond can be well-understood by the role that Jevgēnijs played in Jelena’s life.

Jelena’s father also served as a fitness coach for his daughter. Being a former football player himself, he was closely associated with the sports world. In fact, he had driven her to the airport for the flight to Auckland and was pumped up to see his daughter play well. Ostapenko had also expressed similar sentiments when she returned to the courts for the Australian Open that same year. “My dad was always believing in me,” she said.

During her time of grief, Ostapenko had received the support of another WTA star, who had faced a similar loss.

“She shared some moments…” When Jelena Ostapenko opened up about Aryna Sabalenka facing a similar loss

Months before Jelena’s father’s demise, Aryna Sabalenka too had faced a similar loss. Her father passed away in November 2019, at the age of 43, after suffering from meningitis. Speaking about the same, the Latvian player revealed speaking to Sabalenka who shared some moments with her.

Speaking at the Australian Open after her father’s demise, Ostapenko revealed that it was essential for her to make a comeback to keep herself busy. She further shared the conversation she had with Sabalenka and how the Belarusian player extended support to her. “We actually spoke with Aryna Sabalenka about this, she shared some moments with me as well. It just happened to her a little bit earlier.”

She further explained the pain of losing someone so close. “When you expect it and you know that the person is not healthy or something, it’s another thing, you know it. But to lose such a close person I think it’s very hard.”

As Jelena continues her campaign at Wimbledon, it will be interesting to see if she can end her 7-year drought to the grand slam victory (she won the French Open in 2017) and win big on the grass.