Jelena Ostapenko delivers memorable on-court speech after forgetting score in Dubai victory

Just when you thought Jelena Ostapenko never forgets, she keeps finding ways to surprise you.

The 2022 Dubai champion kicked off her campaign at this week's tournament on Monday with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win over China's Wang Xiyu, her 15th win of the season.

By doing so, the Latvian moved into a tie for the WTA Tour lead for wins so far this year with Elena Rybakina—but after the match, she hilariously revealed that she thought she needed more than the 2 hours and 2 minutes on the match clock to do it: Late in the final set, she forgot the score.

"You're going to laugh now, but I thought the score was 5-2, and when it was 6-3, I was like, 'What's happening?'," Ostapenko said in her on-court interview. "I was into the match so much, probably.

"It's the first time I miscounted the score in my life I think, maybe since juniors. ... I was ready to play more, and the match was already over!"

There was no miscounting for Ostapenko on the scoreboard, though, as she totaled 23 winners and 19 unforced errors in victory—tallying a positive or even winner-to-unforced-error ratior in all three sets. She broke Wang's serve six times in 15 opportunities.

"When I won in 2022 I had such tough matches, and a lot of three-set matches coming from match points down," Ostapenko, who beat four Grand Slam winners in a row on her way to the title two years ago, said. "I feel this energy here. I try to fight until the very last point."

Even if she doesn't always know when that point is.

The former Roland Garros champion, back inside the Top 10 this week at No. 9 after returning to the elite after a five-year absence last month, will next face Swiss wildcard Lulu Sun, who advanced after Paula Badosa retired due to a right lower back injury trailing 6-4.