Ostapenko looking to shake off wrist injury, Grand Slam pressure

Jelena Ostapenko says she is getting back on course, having been slowed by a wrist injury during the offseason.

The 21-year-old from Latvia is into the third round of the WTA event at Charleston, her first claycourt event, having gone 4-8 to start the season.

"Before with this injury it took me so long, so I couldn’t really do the proper preseason," she was quoted by the WTA as saying. "So I’m trying now to compensate it and, yeah, just trying to get back in form. And I just love to play on clay."

But Ostapenko also acknowledged that she is still not at her highest level. "I’m much better now, but still I have of course more confidence than before, but I feel like I can still be much better player than I am now," she said.

Ostapenko has been on a long slide since winning the 2017 French Open, falling in the first round of her title defence and now at No. 31 in the rankings. She points to the pressure that comes with winning a big title.

"Once you start to think too much, it's very hard to get rid of it, and it's hard to get that feeling, like fearless feeling again," she said. "Because I'm in a different position right now, like ranking-wise and also a Grand Slam champion."

Having been through a few coaches since then, she's now just being coached by her mother. Her goal is to start to enjoy the game more again and recapture the mental approach that won her Roland Garros.

"Everything changed so much, and I’m thinking much more like during the points. Also I’m trying to get rid of it and just try to be fearless and play again the way I played there," she said.

Ostapenko is the tenth seed at Charleston.