There have been a lot of talk over Jelena Ostapenko’s weight gain over the past year or so, with many suggesting that the Latvian is diabetic.
The 25-year-old looked to have gained weight during the 2023 Australian Open and there have been a lot of speculation as to what may have brought this on.
Diabetes is being thrown around as a possible reason behind this, as according to Medical News Today, young adults with type 1 diabetes have a higher likelihood of developing excess body weight or obesity than people who do not have diabetes. Also, at least 85% of people with type 2 diabetes are either overweight or have obesity. People with diabetes may also gain weight as a side effect of insulin therapy.
However, there hasn’t been any word from Ostapenko regarding her weight gain or any diabetes diagnosis.
The Latvian burst onto the scene in 2017 when she won the 2017 French Open aged only 19. She thus became the first unseeded woman to win the clay-court Major since 1933.
Ostapenko reached the Top 5 of the WTA rankings in 2018 but suffered a drop in rankings. However, she has gradually made a resurgence and has a fair chance of returning to the Top-10.
The Latvian booked her place in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open by defeating seventh seed Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-3. Ostapenko said in her post-match press conference that bursting onto the scene at a young age affected her mentally and that she needed some time to deal with the pressure that came with it.
After beating Coco Gauff, Jelena Ostapenko will be up against Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. The Kazakh booked her place in the last eight of the tournament by stunning World No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4.
Ostapenko and Rybakina will lock horns for the third time, with the former winning both of their previous meetings. The first of these came in Linz, which the Latvian won 7-5, 6-1. She then beat Rybakina 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals of the 2021 Eastbourne International.
Victory for Jelena Ostapenko will see her reach her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2018 Wimbledon championships.
Poll :
0 votes
Quick Links
Be the first one to comment on this story