Jelena Ostapenko wins in Linz

Earlier in the week, Jelena Ostapenko admitted that she likes shiny things so she wanted to win the redesigned Linz trophy that has 8,100 hand-set Swarovski crystals. Days later, she is the champion of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open and the proud owner of the exquisite trophy.

"Penko" vowed to play more aggressively this year, and it is working. She already has two singles tournament wins (out of the four tournaments she played) in Adelaide and Linz. Ostapenko also is the Brisbane doubles champion and a 2024 Australian Open women's doubles finalist.

Her toughest test at Linz was Clara Tauson in the Round of 16. Ostapenko dropped the first set, saved a match point, and won the final two sets. Since then, she has sailed through the rounds winning in straight sets.

Jelena Ostapenko adds spice to the WTA Tour especially when she is at the top of her game

Ostapenko's personality can be described as having sugar and spice. She is fiery and emotional, never hesitating to let the chair umpire know if she disagrees with him or her. When her game is at its best, which it appears to be right now, she is a sweet one and a former Grand Slam champion (2017 French Open) who can compete against anyone on the WTA tour.

There is not much time to celebrate. Ostapenko is slated to play her first match at the Abu Dhabi Open on Tuesday, February 6 against British player Heather Watson who went through the qualifying rounds to earn her spot in the draw. Ostapenko is seeded fifth in Abu Dhabi with Elena Rybakina, Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, and Barbora Krejcikova ahead of her.

The only thing that can stop Ostapenko in 2024 is herself. If she gets tired from playing into the late rounds of these tournaments, she could be vulnerable. Otherwise, she should be considered a favorite to hoist more trophies in the coming months.

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