Ostapenko begins grass season in Eastbourne
Latvia's top tennis player Alona Ostapenko will play her first match on grass this season today, facing Great Britain's Francesca Jones in the first round of the Eastbourne tournament.
Alona Ostapenko, ranked 35th in the world, starts her grass-court campaign today. In the first round of the WTA 500 event in Eastbourne, she will meet Francesca Jones, Britain's fourth-ranked player (world No. 103), who has previously peaked at No. 65.
In 2026, Ostapenko holds a 16-13 record, while Jones is 10-14 this year, including lower-tier tournaments. Since the start of 2025, the Latvian has won six of nine matches against Top 10 opponents and holds a 28-29 mark against others.
Ostapenko's biggest career achievement is the 2017 French Open title, and she reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2018. Jones this year reached the second round of the French Open. The 29-year-old Ostapenko has nine WTA titles, most recently last April on clay in Stuttgart. The 25-year-old Jones has yet to win a major trophy.
Ostapenko is competing in Eastbourne for the tenth time and won the event in 2021. Jones is making her third appearance here; last year she reached the round of 16. Ostapenko is seeded third this year.
Jones struggles on grass with a 4-15 career record on the surface. She has only one win over a Top 40 player in her career, and her highest-ranked victim on grass is No. 58.
The temperature during the match is expected to be around 24-25°C. The winner will face either Hungary's Panna Udvardi (No. 71) or Anna Bondar (No. 75) in the second round.
