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Jelena Ostapenko has progressed to the second round of the US Open 2023, defeating Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the opening round.
The Latvian is seeded No. 20 in New York this year but had to dig deep to get the better of her first-round opponent. Ostapenko took the first 6-2, hitting 4 aces and converting two out of three break points. The Italian, however, roared back in the second set to win it 4-6.
Ostapenko, a former Roland Garros champion, managed to seal the contest in the third set, taking it 6-1. She is now into the second round of the US Open for the fifth time in her career.
However, what caught the attention of tennis fans during the match was Jelena Ostapenko's bright yellow outfit. The Latvian is sponsored by a brand from her home country, DK ONE. She is known for wearing some of the most colorful, flamboyant and eye-catching outfits on the WTA Tour.
Fans compared Ostapenko's US Open dress to a yellow highlighter and a tennis ball, and applauded her for being a fashion trendsetter.
"Fashion queen strikes again," one fan wrote.
"Ostapenko bringing big highlighter energy to the USO this year," another fan wrote on X.
"Jelena ostapenko , dressed up as a big tennis ball again , wins her first round match vs jasmine paolini," one fan commented.
"She is always up to date with trends," another fan declared.
One fan even drew a parallel between Coco Gauff and Ostapenko's outfits at Flushing Meadows.
"Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko decided to wear matching outfits for the US Open! How cute," the fan quipped.
"She is very palm tree and brazilian too," another X post read.
Here are some more fan reactions to Ostapenko's US Open outfit:
Jelena Ostapenko will face Elina Avanesyan in US Open 2023 second round
The World No. 21's next opponent in New York is Elina Avanesyan of Russia, and the two will face off in the second round on August 30. This is the first time Ostapenko and Avanesyan will play each other on the WTA tour.
Elina Avanesyan bettered French veteran Alize Cornet in her opening round contest 6-2, 1-6, 6-4. She has risen to World No. 68 after her surprising run at the French Open, where she reached the fourth round as a lucky loser. En route, she beat No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic.
Ostapenko, meanwhile, kicked off her year in strong fashion, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time. But she has largely flown under the radar since then, barring her title run at the Birmingham Classic in June. The Latvian's best performance apart from that has been a semifinal appearance at the Italian Open.
