Jelena Ostapenko has no health issues and is presently fit to compete in the Australian Open. Previously, several tennis fans expressed worry over the Latvian players’ weight increase. Jelena Ostapenko, the former World No.5, has been discussing her weight increase for quite some time. However, the Latvian doesn’t seem to be worried. And the claims that she suffers from Type 1 diabetes are untrue. The World No.10 has re-established herself as one of the greatest on the court, and she now hopes to win her first major doubles championship with partner Lyudmyla Kichenok. The two will face Elise Mertens and Hsieh Su-wei.
Ostapenko was eliminated from the singles competition in the third round by Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka. However, the 26-year-old now has a chance to capture her first major Grand Slam victory in six years, the previous being at the 2017 French Open.
Jelena Ostapenko’s Health: Does She Have Type 1 Diabetes?
For many years, tennis fans have been curious about Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko’s health. Previously, some fans claimed that the former world number 5 had Type 1 diabetes. However, Jelena has never mentioned being unwell in any of her interviews. Diabetes can be dangerous for any athlete and is a major source of worry, thus if Jelena had Type 1 diabetes, she would have mentioned it in her interviews.
Several sportsmen from different sports have continued to compete despite their diabetes diagnosis. Alexander Zverev, the world number six in men’s tennis, is one such case. Zverev was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three. Doctors warned his parents he would never be an outstanding athlete, but the German remained determined. Zverev has previously been seen injecting insulin in between matches. Last year, at the French Open, Alexander was asked to leave the court to inject his insulin, which sparked a scandal.
Despite his health concerns, Alexander has emerged as one of the world’s finest tennis players. So, if Jelena had Type 1 diabetes, the whole tennis world would have been aware of it, since players with Type 1 diabetes are often seen wearing insulin pens and glucose monitors.
The reason behind Jelena’s Weight Gain
Some supporters claim that despite Jelena’s weight increase, she seems unaffected since the Latvian is usually injury-free. Some followers say that the Latvian’s sweet appetite gets the better of her. Fans of Jelena may be aware that she enjoys baking and has a second Instagram account dedicated to demonstrating her culinary abilities.
Jelena has posted photos of herself cooking the iconic Russian dessert, Napoleon cake, on her baking Instagram account. Last year, she posted images of her handmade cheesecake and macaroon cookies. The tennis star enjoys cakes and other sweet treats. However, if Jelena simply ate sweet foods and did not follow a diet plan, she would most likely not have reached the Australian Open finals. Jelena recently spoke with Tennis Major about her health and jogging routine with her coach. Stanislav Khmarsky is now the Latvian’s coach.
With over a decade of experience as a professional athlete, Jelena understands how to manage her weight and what is best for her body better than anybody else. Jelena may not seem like the typical tennis player, but that doesn’t mean she constantly eats poorly. She has returned to the top ten rankings and just won the Adelaide International Tournament. If Jelena had been somewhat unfit, she or her coach would have withdrawn from the international events. But she’s competing, and she’s winning.
