ROLAND GARROS

September 29, 2020

Jelena Ostapenko

Press Conference

J. OSTAPENKO/M. Brengle

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk through that match? A very quick one. Seemed like you were seeing the ball pretty well. What are your thoughts on getting that win?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, I thought it was, like, a good match. I think I started pretty well and very confident, not going for crazy shots.

I think was very consistent today. Still played very aggressive. I think I served pretty well.

Q. What's your mentality, and how are you feeling going into Roland Garros this year?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: Actually, I feel like much better than the years before. I was practicing a lot. I didn't play the U.S. swing and I was practicing all the time on clay.

I was kind of waiting for this clay season. Finally, here we are. Yeah, just taking one match at a time, but really happy with my performance today.

Q. You had a big, big smile when you won today. You hit lots of big winners hitting the lines. How does it feel when you are hitting big shots and they are all winners?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, obviously today my goal was to step in the court and be aggressive all the match, because I knew that I have to play that way against her to beat her, because she's very consistent player. She kind of never does any gifts and misses the ball.

So I had to really step in the court and just play my game and play aggressive. I feel like I did it well today.

Q. It was three years ago now. Does it still seem like yesterday for you with the French Open title? What are your feelings like every time you come back into Roland Garros?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, 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. Because first rounds are always tough, and it's like never easy, and you get tight sometimes and you have to deal with the pressure.

But, yeah, I felt like really well today on court. Hopefully I can keep it up.

Q. I really like watching you play. Your style is what I would call "all or nothing." Do you think that sometimes you are prepared to win big or lose big?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, I just have to be more confident in my game and more consistent. If there is a consistency in my game, I think I'm gonna be a very dangerous player and it's gonna be very, like, not easy to beat me.

Yeah, 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 also, I think I'll be back in like top 10.

Q. There are differences in opinion about what it will take to win Roland Garros this year. Some people say because the courts are slower it will help defensive players because they can stay in the rallies longer. Other people are saying that players like you have a big chance because you can just hit through the court. What do you think about those different opinions?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think this year is, like, the court is very different, because it's obviously already October, like end of September, October. It's much colder.

Also, the balls are different, but I honestly like these Wilson balls. I practiced with them like almost two months, and I really loved it.

Yeah, and conditions are of course very different, but I feel like it's slower but sometimes when you hit a heavy shot the bounce is like very low. So for some players it's really tough to get back the ball.

Q. You'll play Karolina Pliskova in the next round. Can you talk about the opportunity to play a top seed in that second round? What's your mentality as two aggressive players go up against each other?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, I played her many times. I kind of know how she plays.

I'm just gonna try to enjoy the match and play my game. I know she serves very big, but in these conditions I think everything is totally different. So anything can happen this year, because as I said, it's very different from normal conditions.

Yeah, I'm just gonna try to play my game and enjoy it.