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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 7, 2017

Jelena Ostapenko

Wimbledon, London, England

J. OSTAPENKO/C. Giorgi

7-5, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You got quite excited, emotional. Looked like it meant quite a lot to you, winning. Would that be right?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: You mean today?

Q. Today.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, it was tough to play against her because she's the player that kind of doesn't give you a rhythm. She's hitting every ball so hard, serving so hard. For me was tough to get my game.

Yeah, as I said, she has no rhythm. I'm happy that both sets I was losing 5-3 and 5-2, and I won the match.

Q. A lot of people who don't watch you play a lot might think you guys have similar games. What makes you different than her?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, both of us play aggressive tennis. I don't think I play like I hit every ball that hard. She's kind of player, as I said, she has no rhythm, she's going for every ball so hard. I try to play still consistent and to think on court and to play maybe some shots to keep them and some shots to go for them when I feel comfortable. And of course follow the score, not to hit, like, every ball.

Q. You seemed to get upset with some of her supporters in the first set.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, her box was quite loud. That was a little bit, like, disappointing because the court, the atmosphere here, I really like to play here. Everyone is, like, very nice.

My box, of course, was supporting me as well. But, yeah, couple of times they were, like, shouting before my serve. That's why I got a bit disappointed.

Q. A cough.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I told the chair umpire and she kept an eye on it.

Q. To win the French, then moving along here nicely, is there a part of you that thinks this is ridiculous, I can't believe I'm doing this so quickly? Such a big change what you were doing at these tournaments before the French Open, and it's really impressive.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I'm feeling more confident with every match. As I've won a lot of matches, I think it helps me. I think I play aggressive. I control the matches. I feel pretty consistent.

Q. I heard one or two times someone shout out, C'mon, Alona today. When you hear that is it more special than when you hear Jelena or Ostapenko?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I like both, Jelena, Alona. Alona everyone is saying who knows me, who knows that my real name is Alona. Normally some people that just came to watch tennis, maybe they don't know that my name is Alona.

But it was really nice to play on Court 2. I had a lot of supporters.

Q. Back to the noises made in the other box, the coughing. Did you feel unsettled or did you let it get to you? How did you cope mentally with that?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I was just trying to focus on my game and to be on the court. It was just before my serve, somebody started to cough. I think it's a little bit, how you say, unsportsmanlike. You're in such a high level, and the tournament like Wimbledon, a Grand Slam, I think people have to understand where they are.

Q. Were you shocked at that?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: A little bit, yes, because I think it was from her dad actually, or her box. I mean, the people who are in her team, they're probably very close to tennis. They probably have to understand how to behave during the points or before the serve.

Q. Isn't it a huge compliment that someone would resort to those tactics? It means they cannot beat you in a fair way.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: As I say, I was trying to be on the court, to not try to hear anything around. But that was, like, I couldn't, how to say, I couldn't not hear it. It was just before my serve, after first serve and before second serve. That was pretty disappointing, yeah.

Q. It's been a while since we've had a first-time slam winner make the second week of their next slam. I think the last one was Vika a few years ago. What do you think makes you different? It's not a common thing recently. When you started to prepare for this tournament, did you think about it differently?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, after French, I rested a little bit, and I went to Eastbourne. Then I was just preparing for this tournament, just to play every match, just enjoy every match, because I won the Grand Slam at the French.

I kind of just tried to play free, not to think too much. Because then I think is easier to play. I think after French I'm more confident, so I'm playing every match better and better.

Q. This is your first time through to the second week. Unlike any other major, Sunday is an off day. How do you expect to spend your day on Sunday?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, it's really nice. I have a couple of days off now. So I'm going to try maybe on couple of these days to see London a little bit or to see something, because I didn't really have much time to go anywhere because I was playing all these days and practicing.

Q. Sunday specifically?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think maybe tomorrow I'm going to see a little bit.

Q. Then Sunday?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Sunday I'm going to practice because I have to play Monday, so I don't really want to go anywhere before I play the next day.

Q. Rafa said players nowadays can play on any surface. How do you feel about that? Roland Garros, not your favorite surface, but maybe now. How do you feel about playing grass?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, I like to play on grass. Every year is getting slower and slower, so it's more difficult to play, because players have more time. But otherwise I really like because, if I can serve well and I return well, it's the surface that I can play good.

Q. When you started to play Grand Slam doubles together with your neighbor, Anett Kontaveit?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, we were playing in juniors.

Q. But Grand Slam?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, we actually spoke about it, maybe we're going to try to play some doubles, some tournaments, because both of us are doing pretty well in singles. Actually those doubles in juniors, we were playing pretty good. We made I think quarterfinals. I think we're going to try to play somewhere.

Q. It was pretty intense for you after the French Open, lots of attention. Didn't seem quite so much at Eastbourne or here. Would you say that's accurate? Is that what you expected?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: The attention?

Q. Yes, in terms of people, press, number of fans coming up to you. You flew home to a massive welcome in Latvia. It seemed reasonably quiet in Eastbourne and here.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, it's nice always to get attention. Like now I'm playing better and better, so I have to kind of get used to it, yeah.

Q. Was it quiet after the French Open by comparison?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I had kind of a lot of attention in Eastbourne, as well.

Q. Do you have plans to watch Ernests Gulbis tomorrow against Novak? Are you rooting for him?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, if I have a time, probably I'm going to watch it. But I don't know, maybe I have practice at that time.

Q. You told me yesterday you were looking forward to playing on one of the show courts. You're getting closer and closer each match. Is that something you're looking forward to on Monday?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, today was a great court. Court 2 is a nice court with a lot of people. I enjoy to play there. Hopefully next match will be on a bigger court.

Q. What do you know or have you watched the Monday at Wimbledon when the men and women are both playing, and what do you think makes that special in that it's different from the other majors? The Monday of week two, the men and women are both playing singles. No other major has that.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: You mean? No other Grand Slam has that?

Q. They don't.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I actually didn't know that. I hear this first time. Probably I didn't pay a lot of attention on that.

Probably that's nice (smiling).

Q. Svitolina next. How do you see that matchup? Seems like two very different styles of game with your power and her speed and defense. Do you look forward to playing players like that, who you think might give you an opportunity to hit, unlike today?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, Svitolina is great player. She's playing good this season. I know I will have to stay aggressive playing against her. Yeah, I can go for my shots. That's probably the goal.

Q. Now that you won a Grand Slam, do you find people offer unwanted advice, maybe some veterans or people on the tour?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: About advices?

Q. The people who try to give you advice about your game, career.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, now I hear a lot from people. Also sometimes is nice that I hear from other, like, players, ex-players, some advices. That is really nice and can be very helpful.

Q. There's Latvian flags more in the stands. Do you see them out there?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I saw a couple of flags. I knew some of my friends were coming, also some other supporters who were at the French Open are here also. So it's really nice to have Latvian people here.

Q. Do you have a lot of people here with you, friends and family?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, I do have, yeah, maybe like seven people with me or something. Yeah, my friends came here, my ex-classmates who were at school with me also came to support me. That's really nice.

Q. How nervous have you ever gotten in any of these matches, at the French Open and here? Have there been points you've been nervous, or not so much?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, I was nervous maybe in my second round here because it was a close match and I wasn't really playing my best tennis, and the opponent was playing pretty well.

Today I wasn't feeling very nervous because, as I said, it was very tough to play against Giorgi. She had no rhythm, she was hitting so hard every ball. But I'm glad I finished my way.

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