After several quick matches on stadium court at the Credit One Charleston Open, an unexpected doubles team was called to play.
This was no ordinary pairing, featuring Erin Routliffe, ranked No. 3, and Jelena Ostapenko, ranked No. 4 on the WTA Tour. Routliffe is known for winning the WTA Finals and the US Open doubles title last year with Gabriela Dabrowski. Ostapenko also won the US Open doubles title last year with Lyudmyla Kichenok.
Despite being a new team, they secured a win against Viktoriya Tomova and Katie Volynets with a score of 2-6, 6-3, 10-2. As the top seeds, they have advanced to the quarterfinals.
“A few days before the tournament, Erin asked if I wanted to play,” Ostapenko said. “I wasn`t planning to play doubles here, but I thought, why not? She’s an excellent doubles player.”
“It was a lot of fun,” she added.
Ostapenko`s first Charleston appearance was in 2017 as a teenager. She reached the final and then remarkably won Roland Garros two months later. She returned in 2019, but the series of tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, and Charleston felt too long to be away from Latvia.
“I didn’t want to stay that long,” Ostapenko told wtatennis.com. “However, I had a good opportunity to practice on green clay in Miami, so I decided to stay for Charleston.”
As the No. 11 seed, she is set to play against the winner of the match between Louisa Chirico and Erika Andreeva. If she wins, a potential third-round match against defending champion Danielle Collins awaits.
Ostapenko has shown great consistency, maintaining a Top 20 ranking for the past three years. Currently ranked No. 25, her best result this year was reaching the final in Doha, where she defeated top players like Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini.
When asked about her success in Doha, Ostapenko laughed and said, “I think it’s just the place. Maybe because it’s where it all began for me, reaching my biggest final in 2016. I just enjoy playing in the Middle East.”
Playing doubles with Routliffe, Ostapenko’s characteristic expressions and gestures were evident. Her on-court demeanor has gained her a global fanbase.
“I am extremely competitive, no matter what it is,” Ostapenko explained. “And I can get very emotional on court, especially when I miss shots.”
Her aim for this year is to continue her consistent performance and break back into the Top 10, where she was ranked for 10 weeks last year after a successful Middle East swing.
“Of course, in the coming years,” she stated, “my goal is to win another Grand Slam.”
Only a small group of active players have won multiple Grand Slams. Since Serena Williams` last major win in 2017, there have been 14 first-time Grand Slam singles champions, including Ostapenko.
Does Ostapenko have a greater appreciation for her Roland Garros victory now compared to when she won it?
After a pause, she responded, “That’s a good question. I think I’ve always appreciated it and believed in myself. I knew I was capable of winning a Grand Slam, but winning one at 19, almost 20, was unexpected. It might have been too early in my career.”
“I think if I had won later, I would have handled it better because winning a Grand Slam changes your life completely. Nowadays, Grand Slam champions are generally older than before.”
The success of players like Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins, and Madison Keys, all competing in Charleston and over 30, is encouraging for her.
“I feel the field is more open now,” Ostapenko said. “There are more opportunities for players to win Grand Slams. Anything is possible.”
Rupert Caldwell