“I had to be aggressive and she doesn’t like it,” Jelena Ostapenko exposes Iga Swiatek’s flaws as she dethrones her from the top of women’s tennis following mega win at US Open

Ostapenko reaches the Quarter-finals at US Open for the first time in her career.

“I had to be aggressive and she doesn’t like it,” Jelena Ostapenko exposes Iga Swiatek’s flaws as she dethrones her from the top of women’s tennis following mega win at US Open

(L) Iga Swiatek; (R) Jelena Ostapenko (Images via Mid-day/The Independent)

Ranked as the 20th seed, Jelena Ostapenko beat defending champion Iga Swiatek in the fourth round of the ongoing US Open. Post her win over the current World No. 1, the Latvian spilled the beans on how she defeated her opponent.

Revealing the secret to her success against her Polish opponent, Ostapenko said, “I went on court and knew I have to play my game & be aggressive because that’s what she doesn’t like,” in an on-court interview following her fourth-round win.

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In a thrilling encounter, Ostapenko dominated Swiatek, beating her to 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. The 26-year-old made an astounding comeback in the match after her first-set loss. This recent clash registers as the 4th time the Latvian player defeated Swiatek. With her head-to-head count against the Pole now at 4-0, Jelena has reached the US Open ‘Round of 8’ for the first time.

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With Swiatek’s loss in her latest match, her dreams of defending her title come crashing down. This also means that the 22-year-old will lose her World No. 1 ranking in the following week to second seed, Aryna Sabalenka. Ostapenko played a powerful game against Swiatek, disrupting her rhythm with aggressive smashes over the net. The 2017 French Open winner will now be up against teen sensation Coco Gauff in the Quarterfinals.

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Iga Swiatek’s US Open title defense ends

Swiatek
Swiatek (Image via: The Globe and Mail)

Iga Swiatek’s loss against Jelena Ostapenko marks the end of her title run at the last Slam of 2023. The Latvian has also achieved the remarkable feat of de-throning Swiatek from the top spot for the first time, ending her 1.5-year domination. Second seed, Aryna Sabalenka will be taking the top spot on the WTA Rankings list for the first time.

“The main thing is that she doesn’t really like to play against big hitters. She likes to have some time,” Ostapenko told a reporter after her win. “When I play fast, aggressive and powerful, she’s a little bit in trouble,” the 26-year-old revealed. Swiatek was eyeing her 5th Grand Slam title win at the Flushing Meadows this season.

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