Tennis News: Paula Badosa and Jelena Ostapenko

Charleston, South Carolina, is a fantastic city. The harbor leads out to the ocean, beaches are on either side of the city, and the town is old enough to have great historical value. But Charleston, specifically Daniel Island, is home to one of the best WTA 500 events, the Charleston Open. If you are going to this year's event, you will get to see some star-studded talent such as Paula Badosa.

Badosa is among a group that includes Ons Jabeur, Elina Svitolina, Leylah Fernandez, Sloane Stephens, and others who will be playing in the tournament. This also includes Jessica Pegula who has had a light schedule in 2024 and has had to fend off rumors that she is pregnant. She is not; she just has been dealing with injuries and other matters.

In fact, many of the players have made recent comebacks. Badosa missed a lot of time in 2023 and has dealt with a back injury in 2024. Svitolina is one of several mothers on the WTA tour proving she can still play tennis after giving birth (here is a hint: she can). Jabeur has been dealing with a knee problem and recently had to withdraw from the Dubai Championships.

Paula Badosa will play Charleston and Jelena Ostapenko swipes away respect

Hopefully, everyone set to play will be at the event. The tournament runs from March 30 through April 7. You should go simply to watch tennis and see the city.

Another WTA player, Jelena Ostapenko, may or may not be in Charleston, but if she is, she will not have any respect for the great players involved. Her reason for this is sound, even if Ostapenko at times seems arrogant and bratty. Why does she not respect tennis legends before she plays them? Ostapenko thinks this puts more pressure on her.

On a recent episode of the WTA Insider podcast, the former Grand Slam winner said, "...when we played Fed Cup (in 2020), I was playing against Serena and she was always my idol. I lost to her 6-7, 6-7. I felt like I was playing really well. When it came to the tiebreak, in both sets, in my head I thought, ‘Oh my god, I’m playing Serena.’ She was always my idol...She can be my idol, but when I play against her I have to forget these things and I just have to see her as a player." Makes sense.

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