Iga Swiatek, the three-time defending champion at the Qatar Open, faced a surprising defeat in the semi-finals against Jelena Ostapenko. The match, which ended in a dominant 6-3, 6-1 victory for Ostapenko, marked Swiatek’s first loss in Doha in five years.
Swiatek, known for her calm demeanor, had a rare outburst during the match. Frustrated by her inability to break Ostapenko’s serve, she smashed her racket into the ground. The incident was captured on camera, showing Ostapenko’s shocked reaction as she watched her opponent’s rare display of emotion.
Switatek vs Ostapenko pic.twitter.com/ARFYhTbSlK
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Ostapenko, who has never lost to Swiatek in their previous encounters, played an aggressive game, hitting 24 winners to Swiatek’s seven. She broke Swiatek’s serve five times and reeled off six consecutive games in the second set.
Reflecting on her victory, Ostapenko expressed confidence in her ability to play against Swiatek, attributing her success to focusing on her own game and handling her emotions well. She will now face either Ekaterina Alexandrova or Amanda Anisimova in the final.
Swiatek, despite the setback, remains one of the top contenders in women’s tennis and will look to bounce back in future tournaments.
Ostapenko in Doha, ranking, and results in 2025
Currently ranked no.37, Jelena achieved an overall 6-4 record in 2025. Jelena is now having a run in Doha where she overcame the world no.120 Aoi Ito 6-2 6-1, the world no.23 Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(5) 7-5, the world no.4 Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-2, the world no.35 Ons Jabeur 6-2 6-2 and the world no.2 Iga Swiatek 6-3 6-1.
Jelena Ostapenko will take on the world no.41 Amanda Anisimova in the final on Saturday at 6:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their actual head to head record is 1-0 for Ostapenko.
Ostapenko won 8 titles in her career: 3 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 2 on indoor courts and 2 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)
Ostapenko will compete next in Dubai (Dubai Duty Free Championships). She will start from the main draw that will commence on the 17th of February.
