My philosophy of parenting is not unlike Ostapenko’s game. Try for too much. Fail often in hopes of greater success. Read philosophy, poetry to the baby in the womb. Always talk over their head. “A man’s reach must exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”*
One of the worst ways to play tennis is to play like Ostapenko. “See ball, hit winner” as Steve Tignor puts it. Not see ball, go for the best percentage play that will allow you to win the greatest number of points against this or that opponent. “It’s just the way I play,” says Ostapenko. “I think my character is like that. So I want to really hit the ball.” Because of her high tolerance for risk, Ostapenko can lose to anyone. But she can beat anyone as well. When she was 17, she beat Simona Halep in the French Open final for her lone grand slam single title, making 54 winners and 54 unforced errors in the process. Would you want your child to make 54 winners and 54 errors in any endeavor. Challenging the world with a new idea? Carving out one’s unique niche? “If I have a chance to go for a shot, I’m trying for it,” Ostapenko says.
*My favorite line from Robert Browning’s poetry.
Artist Bio: George Mutambuka (AKA The Giwi) is a multidisciplinary artist from Uganda. He specializes in 3D design and vector art. He also has skills in game development and software engineering. To learn more about him and see some of his projects, you can visit his website.
For free posts every Thursday in your email featuring original art from around the world and creative new perspectives and prose, follow Tennis Players as Works of Art below:
Happy to announce that this blog has been named one of Feedspot’s top tennis blogs, websites & influencers of 2024.
One reply on “Jelena Ostapenko: How to Penko, How to Parent”
I like the mosaic-like portrait and the go for broke attitude of the player. We didn’t change our vocabulary much to talk to our child. They learned a wider vocabulary by osmosis. ; )