Anna Kalinskaya Snubs Handshake with Jelena Ostapenko After Italian Open Exit

Jelena Ostapenko is once again in the headlines, but this time, it’s not due to her conduct. It was her Italian Open fourth-round opponent, Anna Kalinskaya, who did not shake hands with the Latvian ace after losing the match 6-1, 6-2.

And the reason behind the bad blood? As per reports, Ostapenko said some harsh words toward the Russian ace following their match in the round of 64 of this year’s Dubai Tennis Championships. Kalinskaya came from a set down to clinch a win.

Watch the video here:

Es tremenda la cantidad de malos rollos que hay entre tenistas en la WTA.

Ostapenko y Kalinskaya ni se saludaron hoy en la red ya que la letona se refirió de manera muy despectiva hacia la rusa en Dubai, este mismo año. pic.twitter.com/GMi7SLza3a

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) May 11, 2026

The win helped Ostapenko finally register a win over Kalinskaya after four consecutive defeats. Kalinskaya took an off-court medical timeout after the first set, but Ostapenko had problems with it.

I was ready for all kinds of simulations with the physio calls and all these things. She’s a tricky player that is trying to get you out of the rhythm when she starts losing. But the most important is that I’m really proud of myself, the way I was able to manage all that, losing three games and playing a really good match.

Jelena Ostapenko said at the press conference

Ostapenko, a one-time semifinalist in Rome, will be playing her fifth quarterfinal in the tournament. Last year, her run ended in the fourth round.

I feel like there are so many great players, and we are respecting each other. I know that I can be emotional on the court, but at the end of the day, I respect the other players.

Jelena Ostapenko added

Kalinskaya, a one-time WTA 1000 finalist, will next be preparing for the Strasbourg Open, where last year she handed the walkover to Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals. This year, she has reached a quarterfinal in a WTA 1000 event just once, at the Qatar Open.

Kalinskaya, a one-time quarterfinalist in Grand Slam events, has never progressed beyond the second round of the French Open, where last year she lost in the first round.

Jelena Ostapenko will be locking horns with Sorana Cirstea in the Italian Open quarterfinals

Jelena Ostapenko will next be up against a player who knocked out World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the Italian Open. It’s Sorana Cirstea, who dismantled Linda Noskova in the previous round to schedule her career’s eighth match against the 2017 French Open champion.

She’s a super nice person. I think she’s playing really well this year. We played many times, and for sure it’s going to be a good match. I think [2026 being Cirstea’s final year] gives her a bit of freedom, in a good way, because you don’t have that pressure that you have to defend points and stuff like this. She’s such a hard worker, too. She was injured a few times, and it’s really hard to come back from injuries.

Jelena Ostapenko said at the press conference

Ostapenko edges 4-3 in the head-to-head matchups against the Romanian ace. The last time they met was in the third round of this year’s Brisbane International.

Cirstea will be playing the quarterfinals of the Rome event for the first time in her career. The 36-year-old is a one-time finalist in a WTA 1000 tournament, reaching the stage at the 2013 Canadian Open and losing the match to 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams.

Ostapenko has one Big Title to her name. Although she has played three finals at a WTA 1000 event, she has yet to taste success at this level. The last time she played a WTA 1000 final was in last year’s Qatar Open, losing the match to Amanda Anisimova.

Also read: Joao Fonseca Holds His Head High Following Shocking Italian Open Exit