Jelena Ostapenko will face off against home favorite Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open. An enthralling encounter could be on the cards given the fiery history between the two players.
Ostapenko, who peaked at World No.5 in 2018 but suffered a slide, has inched her way back into the top 10. She made it to two Grand Slam quarter-finals in 2023, including the Australian Open. She won the 2023 Birmingham Classic, also reaching the Italian Open semis to finish the season at No.13.
With a blazing 7-1 start to 2024, Ostapenko rose to the World No.10 ranking. The Latvian star lifted the Adelaide International title after making the quarterfinals in Brisbane.
Tomljanovic, meanwhile, is on a comeback trail after playing only three WTA Tour singles matches in 2023. From a career-high of World No.32, she fell to her current ranking of World No.271, entering the Australian Open with a Protected Ranking. She began the 2024 season with the United Cup. However, her only win came against the unfancied Natalija Stevanovic of Serbia. She withdrew from the Adelaide International, currently having a 1-3 record for the year.
Tomljanovic was made to work hard by Petra Martic in the opening round, while Ostapenko swept aside another Australian, Kimberly Birrell. The latter also leads their head-to-head 2-1. With the blistering start to her season, the in-form Ostapenko could likely prove too much to handle for Tomljanovic. Tomljanovic is rebuilding her career and this test is too big, too soon. Having rediscovered her consistency, The SportsRush predicts Jelena Ostapenko to win in straight sets.
The duo will cross paths on Thursday, January 18, not before 7:00 p.m. local time (3:00 a.m. ET). ESPN and Tennis Channel will stream the match in the United States. Conditions will be windy with a slight cloud cover and temperatures around 18°C. Rain is a possibility but the John Cain Arena is equipped with a retractable roof.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Ajla Tomljanovic head-to-head detail ft. controversial Wimbledon clash
Ajla Tomljanovic and Jelena Ostapenko have played each other thrice before, with the latter winning twice. They first met in the 2021 Italian Open, where the Latvian emerged on top in straight sets. She also won their most recent fixture at the 2022 Eastbourne International, dominating her opponent in two sets. Both fixtures were in the Round of 32.
However, their most infamous clash happened in the third round of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. Tomljanovic won the match which was marred by controversy and barbs exchanged between the two players. The Aussie called Ostapenko a liar, accusing her of faking injury to take a medical timeout when trailing 4-0 in the decider. After Tomljanovic won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, they argued at the net during their handshake (via Fox Sports). The winner said she had ‘zero respect’ for Ostapenko, who hit back by calling her the ‘worst player’ on the tour.
Their feud continued into their respective press conferences. Ostapenko claimed she would have defeated Tomljanovic even if she was half fit, but was genuinely injured on that day. The Zagreb-born retorted by again saying the 2017 French Open champion faked her injury, calling it disgraceful behaviour. However, ahead of their 2024 Australian Open fixture, Tomljanovic insisted this incident was in the past.
The winner of this match will face Clara Tauson or Victoria Azarenka in the next round.
