ROME, Italy—Jelena Ostapenko’s favorite holiday is fast approaching but for the first time, she’s not looking forward to it.
“Oh my god, don’t remind me about my birthday,” laughed the former Roland Garros champion. “I don’t want to get one year older!”
The 27-year-old has traditionally celebrated her birthday in style, hosting “Sweet 16” style bashes in her home city of Riga—parties that require weeks of planning.
“I always like to have the local artists,” she told me back in 2022. “There’s one, Intars Busulis, who always sings on my birthday. He’s from Latvia, and we’re really good friends. We always have so much fun and he’s really amazing, the way he pumps up the people and everyone starts to dance. Every party should be like that.”