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.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
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
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.
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”.
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.”
Furthermore, another user wrote:
Contrarily, an Ostapenko fan wrote, “I like her chaos, I’m sorry”.
One user pointed to the futility of Ostapenko’s rage.
Additionally, another user sarcastically wrote, “She’s such a queen”.
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”.
Another user criticized Ostapenko for her behavior.
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?”
Ostapenko also sparked controversy owing to her misbehavior at the Italian Open
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.

Imago
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko grimaces after loosing a point to Britain’s Katy Dunne during their women’s singles match, on the second day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday July 3, 2018.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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.
Watch This Story | As French Open Heats Up, Serena Williams Brings Her Inner Beyonce to the Fore with Some Cool Moves
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.

