‘Doesn’t Give a F**k’ – Days After Sparking Controversy at the Italian Open, 25-Year-Old WTA Star’s Unsavory Russian Words in French Open Meltdown Gets Mixed Reaction From Fans

Published 06/01/2023, 6:27 AM EDT

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Jelena Ostapenko went into her first match at the 2023 French Open ranked World No. 17 in the WTA Tour rankings. Her opponent, 21-year-old Peyton Stearns, was making her Grand Slam debut. Unsurprisingly, Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, was the odds-on favorite to win the match. However, Stearns stunned the entire tennis world after her admirable and courageous performance, causing one of the shocks of the 2023 French Open so far. At a certain moment during the first set, Ostapenko lost her cool and had a go at one of the people in the audience.

Despite being a Latvian, Ostapenko used some pretty strong Russian to let the audience member know how she was feeling. Subsequently, the video of the moment went viral on Reddit and garnered some hilarious reactions from tennis fans.

Fans dissect the moment that saw Jelena Ostapenko unleash her fury at the French Open

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Jelena Ostapenko couldn’t control her rage as Stearns established a 4-1 lead in the first set. To add salt to her wounds, Stearns started the set’s sixth game in spectacular style, as her serve was just too hot for Ostapenko to handle. In her moment of rage, Ostapenko shouted, Blyat, shut your f**king mouth and f**k out of here! in Russian at an unsuspecting audience member.

‘Better for Me When Someone is Cheering Against Me’- Jelena Ostapenko Ready to Take On French Hostility

As a result, tennis fans went crazy over the incident on Reddit. One user said, “lol kinda wild to hear typical russian gopnik speech in paris”.

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Comment
by u/goddess_steffi_graf from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

Another user claimed that the translation of what Ostapenko said was wrong. “This is a slight mistranslation. It was closer to, “Shut your f**king brain off like me and swing the racket, then see how well you do. F**k outta here to a practice court.”

Comment
by u/BelgianBond from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

Furthermore, another user wrote:

Comment
by u/ireallyhatejunk from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

Contrarily, an Ostapenko fan wrote, “I like her chaos, I’m sorry”.

Comment
by u/LushLoxx from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

One user pointed to the futility of Ostapenko’s rage.

Comment
by u/realdonbrown from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

Additionally, another user sarcastically wrote, “She’s such a queen”.

Comment
by u/Intelligent-Bug-3217 from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

However, one user opined that women’s tennis needs someone like Ostapenko. “Shes starting to grow on me. Doesnt give a f**k about anyone, crazy outfits, cocky attitude. Womens side needs a villain”.

Comment
by u/coreynj2461 from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

Another user criticized Ostapenko for her behavior.

Comment
by u/tabrizzi from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

Last but not least, a user questioned why Ostapenko used Russian instead of Latvian. “Why not in Latvian? Was she being heckled by someone in Russian?”

Comment
by u/hungry4danish from discussion Ostapenko to someone in audience in Russian: "Blyat, shut your f…ing mouth and f… outta here"
in tennis

Ostapenko also sparked controversy owing to her misbehavior at the Italian Open

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At the 2023 Italian Open, Ostapenko’s semifinal appearance against Elena Rybakina turned ugly following the match’s conclusion. Immediately after the match came to an end, Ostapenko and Rybakina proceeded to shake each other’s hands. However, during the handshake, Ostapenko used a derogatory term.

via Imago

Afterwards, Rybakina’s coach was furious and lashed out at Ostapenko for her behavior. Additionally, tennis fans poured in with their opinions, with the majority being critical of the Latvian.

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Ostapenko’s frustrations most likely stemmed from her loss at Rybakina’s hands. All in all, it’s safe to say that Ostapenko can’t keep a lid on her emotions, especially when she’s losing.

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Written by:

Sudipto Pati

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Sudipto is a Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. He completed his graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication in 2012. His passion for writing became a full-time profession in 2019 after working as a musician and travelling educator.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare