Dubai Tennis Championships: Jelena Ostapenko stuns four Grand Slam champions to win title

Jeļena Ostapenko won her fifth singles career title on Saturday and became the first Latvian player to win the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The 24-year-old defeated Veronika Kudermetova in a stunning straight set final win, beating the Russian 6-0, 6-4.

Ostapenko’s run in the tournament was remarkable — not only did she come from behind to win three consecutive matches but she eliminated four Grand Slam champions to reach the final.

With the likes of first and second seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Barbora Krejčíková competing, Ostapenko was viewed as one of the underdogs.

However, when all but one of the top seeded players were knocked out in the first and second rounds, the Dubai tournament was blown wide open.

Ostapenko dug in her heels and produced some stunning performances, beating four Grand Slam winners in consecutive matches in her inspiring run.

The 24-year-old started with a straight set win in the first round against Sofia Kenin of the USA. Ostapenko had no trouble brushing aside the 2020 Australian Open champion and registered a dominant 6-1, 6-2 triumph to start her Dubai campaign off nicely.

However, the following three matches required more grit and determination from the Latvian, after she found herself on the back-foot in the opening sets of the second round, quarter-final and semi-final.

Her second opponent came in the form of Iga Świątek — the Polish 20-year-old who has been setting the court alight in recent years.

The 2020 French Open winner claimed the first set but ultimately fell to a resilient Ostapenko comeback. Something that would become a trademark feature of the Latvian’s journey in Dubai.

Świątek was Ostapenko’s highest ranked opponent of the Dubai Tennis Championships at ninth in the world.

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