VIKING INTERNATIONAL

June 26, 2021

Jelena Ostapenko

Devonshire Park

Press Conference

J. OSTAPENKO/A. Kontaveit

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Well done. You must be thrilled with your performance this week in Eastbourne and just how consistent you were. Just talk us through how pleased you are with the title.

JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I'm really happy with the way I played the whole week. I mean, there were some close matches, but I was fighting till the last moment.

I played really well, and I think the semifinal and final I played really on a high level. It gave me some confidence, and I think it's great to win a title just before going to Wimbledon.

Q. Congratulations. Can you just talk about today's match against Anett. Specifically, what did you feel like you did particularly well? Just with the winners and the way that you were playing, did it just feel like today was your day?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think I was honestly very calm going into the match. I had no stress at all. I warmed up really well, and I was really ready. I was just expecting a really tough match, because I knew she's a great player and it's going to be really hard to play against her.

But the main thing I was trying to play more aggressive and to go for the shots when I had chances. I think I served really well today, I returned and changed the directions also helped me a lot, and using dropshots and different kind of shots, sometimes slices I did from forehand.

Q. You said yesterday that the win over Kasatkina coming back, it really seemed to help you a lot in terms of finding the game that you wanted to play on grass. Can you talk about that a little bit more and how you were able to continue that in your semifinal and then today in the final.

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, the match against Kasatkina was completely different match. I had to play much more aggressive. But maybe last two matches the balls were coming a little bit differently, like faster than from her, and I had to adjust to it also.

But I felt like probably more comfortable, and also, when I found my shots after the match against her, I was just I think playing with less mistakes but still going for my shots when I had a chance. So I was not like making so many unforced errors.

Q. Congrats. If you look at the bigger picture, I'm just wondering what does that title mean for you? We all know how you can play. We all know you can win every title. You can go far. I'm just wondering if this week is maybe proving it to you again, or maybe you didn't need to prove it to yourself.

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, it's great to win a title, because to play well all the tournament, I think it's very important because it's been a while since I won a title.

I think is just the beginning. If I keep playing the way I played this tournament, I think I can be back in top 10 and play well. So I just have to keep that in my mind and work even harder.

Q. Did something click this week, or was it something you were working on the past few weeks that is just starting to pay off?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: No, I just was trying to be more positive, and even some matches I was very emotional, but still, like, the last two matches I think I was very, very positive in my mind, and I was just trying to enjoy tennis. If I miss the ball, okay, I forget it, I go for the next one. It worked really well, I think.

Q. You said you were enjoying tennis and just being positive. I'm wondering, because you have lost this joy for tennis before, or...

JELENA OSTAPENKO: No, I haven't lost it, but I was struggling a little bit. It's not nice when you lose matches. And also, as I said, after 2017, everything changed, so I needed some time to get used to all the things.

But now it's already four years since then, so I'm just living in this moment and trying just to enjoy. Because as I said, also grass court season is very short, so I'll try to take as much as I can from it.

Q. You now have four titles. Each title is won effectively on a different surface: hard court, indoor, clay, and grass. You were talking the other day about growing up playing on very, very fast, weird-bouncing wood courts. What do you think it says about you as a tennis player, as an athlete, as a ball striker, really, that you have been able to be successful on four different types of courts?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I think it says that I can be dangerous and playing well on all surfaces probably. Of course I enjoy to play more on just some of them, but in general, I can adjust well to different surfaces.

I think it's great, because some players are only playing well on one or two surfaces but then with some surfaces they are struggling. But me, I can adjust to probably all of them. So I think it's good.