Jelena Ostapenko defeated Anna Kalinskaya in a tense Italian Open match Monday, winning 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. The match was marked by no handshake after Ostapenko’s victory, as Kalinskaya walked directly to the umpire and then her chair without meeting her opponent at the net.
Ostapenko, 29, said she expected “all kinds of simulations, with the physio calls and all these things” from Kalinskaya, 27. Kalinskaya took an off-court medical timeout at the end of the first set. “She’s a tricky player that is trying to get you out of the rhythm when she starts losing,” Ostapenko told the WTA Tour after the match. “But the most important thing is that I’m really proud of myself, the way I was able to manage all that, losing three games and playing a really good match.” A representative for Kalinskaya did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ostapenko also said the non-handshake was her opponent’s choice. “I feel like there are so many great players and we are respecting each other,” she said. “I know that I can be emotional on the court, but at the end of the day, I respect the other players.” Despite trailing 0-4 in head-to-head meetings, Ostapenko added, “I honestly didn’t really care much. I know I’m a better player.”
This marks another instance of Ostapenko’s well-known friction with opponents. She has a history of no-look handshakes, notably after losing to Daria Kasatkina at the 2017 U.S. Open, where she actively avoided eye contact. In 2022, Ostapenko held out her racket instead of her hand after losses to Victoria Azarenka, later citing “a few reasons” related to the Russia-Ukraine war. Last year, she confronted Taylor Townsend after a U.S. Open loss, repeating “you have no education” three times, for which she later apologized.
Ostapenko will next face Sorana Cîrstea in the quarterfinals.