It’s been a tough stretch for Jelena Ostapenko. The Latvian star opened her 2026 season with a rough run of early exits across the Australian swing. Now on the Middle Eastern leg, starting with the Abu Dhabi Open, she finally broke through the first round. But luck didn’t stay on her side for long.

On Tuesday, Jelena faced 20-year-old qualifier Sara Bejlek and struggled to find her rhythm. The young Czech grabbed the first set 6-4, and Ostapenko appeared to be in distress during the changeover, receiving medical treatment on court. A photo shared on X showed a doctor checking her vitals. Moments later, she decided she couldn’t continue at full strength and fell 6-4, 6-3, pushing the qualifier into the quarterfinals of the WTA 500.

In her opening match, Latvia’s top player fought her way past Russia’s Oksana Selekhmetyeva with a gritty 5-7, 7-6, 6-2 win. It was her third appearance in Abu Dhabi, a tournament that hasn’t always been kind to her. Last year, she bowed out early against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in straight sets. This time, though, she looked sharper, dialed in from the very first point.

At one point, Bejlek couldn’t handle Ostapenko’s blistering pace on serve. Moments later, though, the Latvian sent one into the net, bringing it back to 2-2. The tension climbed when Ostapenko blasted her way out of three break points in the eighth game, only to falter again at 0-40 in the last game of the first set.

The second set turned into a battle of resolve. Ostapenko dropped serve in the fourth game (1-3) and struggled to regain consistency. She earned a break point with a booming serve, and the Czech missed the return. But once more, Ostapenko’s focus slipped and she lost serve at 2-4. Soon she trailed 2-5 and 0-30, rallied bravely to 3-5, but her shots drifted wide in the end. She also pulled out of her doubles quarterfinals match alongside Barbora Krejčíková.

Could the heat have played a role? The temperature hovered around 26 degrees, and it’s unclear what slowed her midway through. It wouldn’t be the first time the Latvian has faced health concerns mid-match.

Jelena Ostapenko faces harsh reality ahead of the Australian Open

Ostapenko’s 2025 season was a wild mix of highs and lows. The Latvian managed just 18 wins from 38 singles matches, but when she was on, she was on fire. Her biggest triumph came in Stuttgart, where she stunned both Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek on her way to the title. It was a reminder of why no one can ever count Ostapenko out.

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Fast forward to 2026, and the start of a new season hasn’t exactly gone smoothly. She fell in the opening round of singles at the Brisbane International but quickly bounced back to take home the doubles title alongside her experienced partner Su-wei Hsieh. The duo looked sharp, and that victory seemed to give the world No. 24 some much-needed confidence heading into Adelaide.

At the Adelaide International, Jelena Ostapenko looked ready to turn things around. She stormed past teenager Tereza Valentova early, racing to a 5-0 lead and holding two set points. Then, things suddenly unraveled. Valentova clawed back every game and clinched the set 7-5, leaving Ostapenko visibly frustrated.

The second set started with some promise, but after going down 3-2, Ostapenko called it a day. She retired mid-match, signaling that something wasn’t right physically. Trainers had already tended to her neck and shoulder during the previous games, and soon after, she also pulled out of her doubles quarterfinal. With just five days to heal before the Australian Open, the clock is ticking.

This wasn’t her first retirement in recent months, either. In late 2025, she faced a similar setback in Wuhan, playing the tournament for the fourth time in her career. Ostapenko couldn’t find her rhythm that day and lost the first set 6-0 to Sorana Cirstea. Though she opened the second set with a break, the momentum didn’t last long, and she retired while trailing 6-0, 2-1.

“It was a tough day – I suffered a heat stroke today… Thank you, China, for the atmosphere, emotions, and incredible energy from the crowd. I’m truly sorry that I had to finish the match this way. Thank you to all my Chinese fans. I’ll be back stronger next time,” she wrote in a heartfelt Instagram Story after the match.

Now 28, Ostapenko knows what it takes to fight her way back from injuries and tough losses. Her spirit has never been in doubt, and she’s shown time and again that she can rebound when it matters most. Sitting at No. 24 in singles and No. 8 in doubles, the question now is: Will she rise again in her next tournament?