Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open winner, was visibly frustrated with the officiating in her quarterfinal match at the Brisbane International tournament in Australia.
Ostapenko accused the umpire of being “blind” after her opponent, Victoria Azarenka, was awarded a point in the third set. Ostapenko believed that the ball had already bounced multiple times, and the umpire should not have made a call in Azarenka’s favor.
Azarenka, a former world No. 1 player, took a 5-4 lead as a result of the play in question.
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“You are blind. It’s impossible to play when you are… You make so much mistakes,” Ostapenko shouted toward the umpire.
The 26-year-old then made it clear that she did not want the umpire involved in any of her future tennis matches.
“I never want you on my match again. You will never be on my match. You will never be on my match. I don’t want you on my matches. You ruin my matches … I will never forget, never.”
Ostapenko was ultimately eliminated from the tournament after she suffered a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 defeat to Azarenka.
The eighth-seeded Azarenka started off strong, but as the match progressed, the third-seeded Ostapenko was able to mount a comeback.
Azarenka was complimentary of Ostapenko after the match.
“With Jelena, sometimes you just have to put on a helmet and try to stay in there,” Azarenka said. “She’s an incredible player. We’ve seen it many times. She’s a grand slam champion. She’s proved many times that she can beat anybody … She’s always very dangerous. I thought the quality of tennis was incredible.”
The Brisbane International women’s singles championship is scheduled for Jan. 7. Many of the world’s top tennis players will likely remain in Australia or travel to the island continent for the Australian Open. The year’s first major tournament begins on Jan. 14.
Azarenka is a two-time Australian Open champion, winning the tournament in 2012 and 2013. Ostapenko advanced to the 2023 Australian Open quarterfinals.
Azarenka will take on Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals on Saturday.
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