World No.12 Jelena Ostapenko made a scandal during her quarterfinal match against Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International, yelling at the chair umpire and accusing her of making too many mistakes.
Before losing the thriller 6-3 3-6 7-5 and allowing Azarenka to advance to her fifth Brisbane semifinal, Ostapenko’s control slipped away in the pivotal moments of the third set. The intensity of the match reached its zenith with a disputed call, a moment that spiraled into Ostapenko losing her temper and verbally attacking the umpire.
Jelena Ostapenko is not happy with the umpire in her match against Azarenka:
“I never want you at my match again. You will never be at my match. You ruin my matches.” pic.twitter.com/7ns1h6rR7F
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 5, 2024
The 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko adamantly argued that the ball had touched the ground twice before Azarenka managed to return it, a crucial point that could have altered the course of the match. Emotions running high, Ostapenko unleashed a torrent of frustration at the umpire, her voice laced with indignation and disbelief.
“You are blind,” Ostapenko yelled at the umpire. “You make so many mistakes!” The Latvian player kept repeating, “I never want you in my match again!” She firmly accused the umpire of ruining her matches, adding, “The final in Linz I will never forget. Never!”
