Jelena Ostapenko is one of the most exciting prospects in tennis especially after she won the Roland Garros coming out of nowhere. The Latvian is currently a very happy person, but she may get quite moody if you call here Jelena even if that is her legal name!

The Story

Ostapenko explains why she wants to be called Alona

“Everyone who knows, they call me Alona. I don’t like when people call me Jelena if they know.” 

Anabel Medina, Alona’s coach, commented “I had a couple of times that by mistake I called her Jelena, and she’d turn around and say, ‘Don’t call me Jelena!’” 

Why she was called Jelena

Ostapenko explains

“Because when parents named me Alona, they couldn’t write it dow the in passport as Alona.

There was no such name in Latvian calendar. I needed to have a Latvian name, something that is on the list. So, they couldn’t put me down as Alona, so they put me down as Jelena, because it’s kind of a similar name.” 

So, Ostapenko will play Svitolina in the 4th round in Wimbledon, can Jelena, ehm, Alona win this one?