QATAR TOTAL ENERGIES OPEN

February 13, 2026

Jelena Ostapenko

Press Conference

V. MBOKO/J. Ostapenko

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Jelena, two different results today. Congratulations on making the finals in doubles. Just talk about your week here and the different results.

JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, it's a great week, obviously. I'm just so exhausted and tired right now, so I just want to get out of the courts and sleep (laughing). Sorry, guys, can you make it short, please.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I know you talked yesterday about how you're a matches person, you like to be competitive, and rather than training for a few hours, you like to play doubles. Did playing doubles help you get over the singles defeat today or not really?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: Honestly, when I lose singles today I was not very happy to play doubles. But of course it's another match, and it's never easy, but I didn't expect it to last that long (laughing). So, yeah, the later you play, the colder it is, the matches are lasting way longer. So, yeah.

Q. Iga and Aryna have already pulled out of Dubai. Obviously you're still very much in this tournament, but how tough is that turnaround from Doha to Dubai, and is that on your mind with doubles tomorrow?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: It's a very quick turnaround because, even like last year making the finals here, this year playing semis, you cannot really enjoy it, because you have like one day, like the maximum one day just to, you know, to relax a bit and then you have to be in a game mode again. It's a very quick turnaround for a 1000 event.

Q. You obviously were disappointed losing that match against Vicky, but you went for the hug at the net. I'm just curious, what did you tell her, and why did you feel you had to have this moment with her?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I told her that I wish her good luck and all the best in the finals. Yeah, she played a great match. I think I didn't played bad. Conditions probably were in her favor because we were playing a little bit later, so she could obviously get more balls in the play. I felt like I was hitting really great shots, and she was moving very well. But I think, as before I was asked about doubles, probably this week maybe didn't really help me much. If I had one match a day, maybe it would be a bit easier to recover and to be ready today.

Q. Thinking about the last 10 years you've been on tour, what in your mind are some areas where you've been pretty much the same in terms of your playing style and attitude, and some areas in which you changed over your career?

JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think dealing with my emotions, for sure. I think of course there's some tricky matches where, as I'm a very emotional person in general, so I get into emotions. But as long as I can balance it and it doesn't affect my game I think that's what I was working the most. I feel like especially this week, also in Australia, like first two rounds I felt like I was playing also good tennis, so I felt like it's coming. Especially like playing here semis in singles, I think, yeah, my game is obviously working better, and I feel like I'm getting in the zone. And even losing matches, it's still, I mean, today losing the singles match, I feel like it was still a good match and there is a lot of things to take from that, yeah, to move forward.