Despite signing off from professional tennis last year, Serena Williams continues to be a source of inspiration for young budding players. Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko, who recently had a face-off against Serena’s sister Venus Williams at Birmingham, is also one of them. Taking inspiration from the 23-time Grand Slam champion, Ostapenko wishes to emulate the legacy that Serena Williams has set.

After taking down Venus Williams in Birmingham, Ostapenko looked upon the values that she has picked from her idol, Serena Williams.

Jelena Ostapenko wishes to emulate the legacy of her idol Serena Williams

The second-round match against Venus Williams was an important one for Ostapenko. Not only because it was Venus Williams against whom she had to go. But also because she needed to turn the narrative that Venus Williams set at the 2017 Wimbledon quarter-finals.

After fulfilling that wish of hers, Ostapenko talked about her source of inspiration. Incidentally, it is none other than her opponent’s younger sister. She said, “My idol was always Serena. I was always watching her.”

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Her enigmatic game and persona on the court left Ostapenko in awe of her. She added, “The way she was on the court, firing it up & all the emotions. I really love it.”

Crediting Serena Williams for changing the narrative around the sport, she said, “I think that’s what makes tennis a great game.”

Finally, Ostapenko wishes to emulate what her idol has done. She stated, “I’m older now. I hope I can be an idol for some kids.”

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Despite Ostapenko went against Venus Williams with all she had, the 42-year-old did not go without a fight as she clinched the second set. Hence, at the end of it all, Ostapenko did not shy away from crediting her rival.

Despite a challenging run, Ostapenko credits Venus Williams 

The Latvian tennis player remained assertive throughout the match. But Venus Williams was on the court with almost three-decade worth of tennis experience.

And after the 2017 Wimbledon run, Ostapenko had issued a resilient warning to her before their match at Birmingham. Nonetheless, she acknowledged the legacy of the tennis legend. After their match, she expressed her gratitude for playing against someone who is an idol for many people around the world.

Apart from that, Venus Williams has received a wild card entry at Wimbledon. Do you think Venus can push herself to topple the current stars at SW19?

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