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ROLAND GARROS

June 9, 2017

Jelena Ostapenko

Paris, France

An interview with:

JELENA OSTAPENKO

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Hello, Jelena. This is going to be a final of contrasting styles. You're an attacker, very offensive, very aggressive, and Simona who is more tactical, defensive. How do you apprehend this final?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: How do I what?

Q. How do you apprehend this final? How do you prepare for it? What's your mind-set?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, I'm already in the finals and Simona is a great player. And in the match against her of course I need to stay aggressive and to play my game. But it's going to be a tough match and I have to be ready for it.

Q. So let's say if you just were arriving into Paris this year and someone comes up to you and says, you know what, Jelena? You will reach the final. What would you say to them?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, of course I didn't expect that when I came here. But every match I was playing better and better and really happy to be in the finals here.

Q. Do you remember the first moment or the first memory of playing this sport? Of picking up a tennis racquet and playing?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Actually I do remember when I was younger when I was, like, kind of practicing playing against the wall. That's I think how I started to play tennis.

Q. Jelena, it seems you have a special relation with Paris and Boulogne because you won the open in Boulogne-Billancourt. You were so young. So cute. What sort of memories do you have? No. I saw a picture because they send me a picture. You were fantastic. What sort of memories do you have of this period?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, I really love to play here, especially this place. Like, Boulogne is amazing place to be. And yeah, I just really enjoy time here.

Q. Jelena, you didn't seem to get nervous yesterday at all. How are you feeling today, the day before the final? Is the excitement different because it's a final or are you still very calm? How do you feel?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Actually yesterday in the second set I was a little bit nervous. Maybe you couldn't see that, but I was a little bit nervous inside.

But yeah, today I'm feeling fine because tomorrow is the final. So I'm just going to prepare and enjoy final tomorrow.

Q. Did you have a chance to celebrate the win and your birthday a bit last night?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah. I mean, last night I celebrated my birthday with some friends and my family. So was nice time.

Q. Jelena, what do you like doing away from tennis? What are your hobbies?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Because I used to do the ballroom dancing before, so it's kind of my hobby now. Then I like to learn other languages, to read books, listen to music, spend time with my family, my friends.

Q. And how often do you get to dance?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: When I'm home, like, four times a week.

Q. Jelena, do you like statistics, which is a fun fact, I think, you could win your very first title at Roland Garros, right? So on a day when you were born, Gustavo Kuerten won his very first title here.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I actually saw that and I think it's kind of similarities probably. I don't know. But it's funny, yeah.

Q. Could you take a moment and talk a little bit more about the dancing? Do you think in any way that it's maybe helped you a little bit with your footwork? And just talk a little bit more about that.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, as I said, I was dancing from 5 to 12 for seven years. Then I stopped and now I'm doing for myself.

But yeah, I think it really helps my footwork because you need to be very coordinated and those small steps are helping.

Q. I'm sure you watch the matches back a day after, maybe weeks after you played them. And I'm sure you see those gestures you make, like, no more, I want to give up, or whatever when you play at that point. Do you sometimes talk about this more in detail with Anabel or with your parents, the way you behave after negative points?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, it's like I cannot play the whole match, like, amazing. Sometimes it's up and down, but I still try to fight and play my game.

And if I do that, I will get back my game and then it can help me to win.

Q. Jelena, you said that the play here is different from clay everywhere else. What do you actually think of clay outside of Roland Garros?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, I think I'm playing pretty well on clay. But here I think it's very special. It's very fast court so it really fits me.

Q. You're the very first person from Latvia in a final of a Grand Slam. Can you tell us about the reflection you get from your country?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: It's really nice. And yesterday a lot of calls from Latvia, even the president of the country called. So was really nice the attention from my country.

Q. What did Mr. President say?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: He actually called my mom. So that's what she told me. I mean, because nobody knows my phone.

But yeah, it was really nice, because the president called. That means a lot already.

Q. Is he a good president or not so good?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Of course he's good.

Q. Jelena, I just wondered what music do you like? What books do you like? Who your favorite author or band is?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Music, I like pop music more and also rap sometimes. But books I like to read detectives.

Q. O who is your favorite author or band?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I like to read Agatha Christie.

Q. Have you got a favorite book?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Last one I read was the -- I don't know how to say it in English, the name. But yeah, it was a really interesting one with some nice -- like, there was a lot of -- how do you say interesting things happening. And it was really interesting to read because I wanted to know how it will end.

Q. Do you read books during tournaments? Does it help take your mind away from the court?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, sometimes I do it just before going to sleep, I read some books, yeah.

Q. And what about pop music? Who is your favorite artist?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think I like a lot of them. Like, The Weeknd and Enrique Iglesias. Some Russian ones as well.

Q. I don't want to be too personal, but the last Latvian player who reached a French Open final was very, very rich. Are you rich too? Do you have a lot of money?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Who was that?

Q. Gulbis.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: He hasn't reached the final.

Q. Semi.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: That's a funny question.

Q. He's rich in emotions.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah.

Q. Jelena, what is more daunting to you? Sitting here in the press conference and having to answer all of these questions or going out there and playing semifinals and finals of Grand Slam?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, it's always fun to have press conference to answer some nice and funny questions.

Q. And talk about the Charleston experience. Your deep run there, did that help you in a lot of ways?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, actually in Charleston I had also great week there. I made the final. And was the first clay court event, and it probably gave me kind of confidence and I enjoyed time there. It was a nice city and nice tournament.

Q. One more on the speed of your strokes. Is this something you always worked on that it has to be harder than Murray's?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, since I probably started to play tennis, I had a possibility to play aggressive. So I was always trying to play aggressive and that's my game style.

But yesterday when I knew that my forehand was faster, I was a little bit surprised.

Q. You work with Anabel. What did she bring to you?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Sorry?

Q. Anabel, you're working with Anabel Garrigues.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah.

Q. What did she bring to you? Did she improve something in your game?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: We're just working on some things. And she was a great player so she knows a lot of the players, and she has a lot experience. So that all came together and helps.

Q. Before the match tomorrow, you're obviously going to talk to Anabel and also maybe to your parents or to your family in general about the match, what you're going to do. How much time do you spend actually talking about that match and preparing for it, or how much time are you just going to be relax, enjoy the moment and just maybe just get in the right mood and in the right place for the finals?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Of course I'm going to go talk to Anabel and also to my mom, who is my coach as well. So probably today a little bit and tomorrow before the match and just to prepare it.

But I'm already in the finals so I'm going to go out there and enjoy the match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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