Jelena Ostapenko did not hold back after advancing to the Wimbledon mixed doubles semi-finals with partner Marcelo Arevalo, telling opponent Laura Siegemund she needed to 'learn to lose' following a fiery post-match exchange. The Latvian and Arevalo secured a straight-sets victory over Siegemund and Edouard Roger-Vasselin on July 7, 2026, but the real drama unfolded after the final point.
Post-Match Confrontation
Tempers flared immediately after the match, with Siegemund refusing to shake Ostapenko's hand. Instead, Siegemund and Roger-Vasselin approached the umpire to complain about a time violation called against them. Ostapenko joined the pair, and the argument quickly escalated. Siegemund appealed to the umpire: 'On a point like that, maybe a little bit of fingertip feeling, a little bit.' Ostapenko replied: 'You know at the [All England] Club we don't have that.' Siegemund then added: 'With the right players you have it.'
Ostapenko's Response
Roger-Vasselin challenged the umpire's decision, arguing it was incorrect. Ostapenko defended the call, saying: 'It's a very good rule, he did a great job, finally somebody's not afraid to do that... Somebody's not afraid to do that when she's taking like two minutes between serves, and before the serve. And everyone knows this.' Roger-Vasselin pressed on: 'But he didn't warn us anytime.' As the altercation escalated, Ostapenko took a swipe at Siegemund, remarking: 'You have to handle defeats better, learn to lose.' At that point, Siegemund marched off the court.
Ostapenko's Singles Exit and Sabalenka's Comments
Ostapenko had already been eliminated from the singles draw by Aryna Sabalenka, leaving her to focus entirely on doubles. Sabalenka, the world No. 1, commented on Ostapenko's power: 'Yeah, that's scary. You know, that's really scary.' She added: 'She's really dangerous and in the last match I played against her, I couldn't do anything. She just smashed me off the court. I'm really happy that I was able to get this win, especially in straight sets. The plan is to get better every day and to bring a little bit better level every time I'm competing on this beautiful grass.' Sabalenka was later defeated by Naomi Osaka in straight sets just days afterward.
