Jelena Ostapenko is not happy with Coco Gauff’s US Open schedule

Tennis

by Ryan Glaspiegel

Jelena Ostapenko feels Coco Gauff had a scheduling advantage in her US Open quarter-final match on Tuesday.

Gauff defeated Ostapenko 6-0 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals.

Ostapenko defeated world number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the round of 16 at around midnight on Sunday, before having to return and play with Goff on Tuesday afternoon.

“I feel very tired physically,” Ostapenko told reporters after losing to Gauff.

“I felt like I hadn’t recovered from that night. I got back to the hotel around 2am and tried to sleep at 3am but I had all this adrenaline and it was impossible to sleep.

“When you go to bed at 5 or 6 in the morning, you only need a few days to recover. I think it’s a little crazy.”

Complicating matters was that it was over 90 degrees and humid at Flushing Meadows during Tuesday’s game.

Ostapenko suffered many injuries in the match, and committed 36 unforced errors.

I was asked what you would suggest from a scheduling perspective.

“If I play a training session late at night, one day I have to play (the next match) at the same time or later because you don’t have much time to recover. Even with the day in between, you still have your practice and your treatment.”

On the other hand, Gauff beat Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday afternoon.

“I think the schedule worked better for her because she played much earlier in the day than she did a night session,” Ostapenko said.

Gauff will face the winner of the Sorana Cirstea match against Karolina Mutova on Thursday in the semifinals.