"A little bit disrespectful, felt like a football match" - Jelena Ostapenko criticizes Miami Open crowd during 3R win against Beatriz Haddad Maia

Former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko recently criticized the Miami Open crowd after spectators "disrespected" the Latvian during her third-round match against Beatriz Haddad Maia on Saturday, March 25.

Ostapenko beat Haddad Maia 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to qualify for the fourth round of the tournament. With a large number of Brazilian fans in the crowd in Miami, the 28-year-old had to battle both her opponent on the court as well as the constant jeers against her, which she eventually managed after two hours and 21 minutes.

Speaking to the media during her post-match on-court interview, Jelena Ostapenko reflected on her match and how she felt disrespected by the crowd who were "mostly against" her. She claimed that the atmosphere felt like a "football match," adding that she was proud of herself for hanging in there despite all the antagonism against her.

"Yeah, I am really happy to win today, of course the crowd was mostly against me, a little bit disrespectful, but thanks guys who were supporting me. I really appreciate it, and yeah, I am just really proud of myself that I was firing. It felt like a football match today," Ostapenko said while smiling at the crowd.

Moments after hitting the winning shot, Ostapenko had also celebrated with gusto, screaming in joy to celebrate her hard-fought win over the Brazilian as well as her fans at the stadium.

Jelena Ostapenko takes on Martina Trevisan in the fourth round of Miami Open

Following her win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, Jelena Ostapenko will lock horns with 25th seed Martina Trevisan in the fourth round of the 2023 Miami Open. Trevisan overcame Claire Liu in three sets in the third round to keep her meeting with the former French Open champion.

The duo have never met on tour before and will face off for the first time on Monday. The winner of the clash could take on either Paula Badosa or reigning Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals, with Petra Martic and Elise Mertens also in the mix.

Ostapenko, who reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open at the start of the year, is a former finalist in Miami, having reached the summit clash in 2018 before losing to Sloane Stephens. Since then, the Latvian has never gone past the third round, making her run in 2023 a comeback of sorts.

Trevisan, on the other hand, is playing in the main draw of the WTA 1000 tournament for the first time in her career, having previously exited in the qualifiers in both 2021 and 2022. This is also the first time the Italian has reached the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event.