The cameras picked up an outstanding moment in Doha as an angry Iga Swiatek was smashing her racket while Jelena Ostapenko observed it and laughed.
After falling short in her four first matches against the Latvian, the five-time Grand Slam champion entered their Doha semifinal hoping to finally get one win in their meetings.
But after the world No. 37 won the first set 6-3 and also started the second set with an early 3-0 lead, it became evident that it probably wouldn’t be the Pole’s big day.
And as Swiatek was heading toward her bench, she angrily threw her racket.
It didn’t go unnoticed by Ostapenko, who seemingly enjoyed the scene very much.
Jelena Ostapenko© X screenshot
Jelena Ostapenko’s reaction to Iga Swiatek throwing her racquet in Doha
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/EvIjoEtKBx
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 14, 2025
Ostapenko went on to complete a two-set win
After the incident, the world No. 2 lost her serve again and the unseeded Latvian went 4-0 up in the second set.
The Polish tennis star managed to get one break back in the fifth game but the world No. 37 didn’t panic, collecting another break in the sixth game to go 5-1 up before closing out the match on her serve in the following game to win 6-3 6-1.
“I feel like this court has a special energy and it was always helping me. As I said, everything started for me here on this court,” Ostapenko said.
“Today I went on the court and I was pretty confident that I would beat her because we played a lot of matches and I know how to play against her and I just was more focusing on myself and knew what I have to do.
“I’m really happy with the way I’m handling my emotions this week. I’m just so happy to be in the finals.”
Tennis World USA