Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Jelena Ostapenko admitted she was 'angry' during her first-round match against British wildcard Harriet Dart after deliberately provoking the SW19 crowd. The Latvian, who reached the last four in 2018, appeared to goad spectators during a changeover at 4-3 in the deciding third set, drawing jeers from the crowd.
Ostapenko's Provocation and Crowd Reaction
Ostapenko had claimed the opening set but surrendered the second and was broken back by Dart—courtesy of a double-fault—when the incident unfolded. Commentator Chris Bradnam noted: 'Ostapenko is quite happy to pick a fight. She's taking on over 12,000.' Co-commentator Martina Navratilova added: 'Not a good idea but I think she's used to that. They're not applauding the fact that she double-faulted, they're applauding that Harriet Dart broke serve and it's back on serve. So these days it's expected but it still gets frustrating.'
Ostapenko's Victory and Post-Match Comments
Despite the tension, Ostapenko pushed aside the incident to win the third set 6-4. After the match, she addressed the crowd: 'I'm probably not the one who you wanted to win but thank you it was a really nice atmosphere. Sorry if I was a little bit emotional but I feel like the first round is always tough especially when you face somebody from here.' She added: 'I was not playing my best but it really matters when you win the match not playing your best. She is a great player and played a great match. It was a rollercoaster but I'm really proud of myself.'
Using Anger as Fuel
Ostapenko admitted she used her anger towards the crowd to fuel her performance: 'It's funny. When I play somebody local or just somebody that the crowd is supporting, I feel like I'm angry in a good way and I just want to prove wrong that like, you guys are not supporting the right person.' She continued: 'Not in this case because she is from here and this is a good crowd from here. I just wanted to prove that you guys should support me in the next match.'
Navratilova's Criticism and Phone Distraction
Earlier in the match, Navratilova criticised Ostapenko for raising her racquet high above her head while Dart was preparing to serve. 'Why is Ostapenko holding up her racket? Why is she holding it up? [Huge groan]. Seriously!? The umpire should have called her up on that. There is no reason for Ostapenko to be holding up her racket.' However, it emerged that a spectator's mobile phone caused the pause. Navratilova added: 'Oh it's a mobile phone, that is so annoying. You rarely get that happening these days.'
Raducanu's Withdrawal
The match was moved to Court 1 at short notice after Emma Raducanu withdrew due to a stress fracture. Raducanu said: 'I can't believe I'm saying this, but sadly I've had to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon. I've done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow but after a final scan tonight, the niggle I've been managing has developed into a stress fracture and I've been medically advised to stop pushing through.'
