Iga Świątek throws her racket in frustration as Ostapenko reacts amused😮..Watch Video

WATCH: Controversial scenes as Iga Swiatek throws her racket in frustration during Qatar Open SF loss; opponent Jelena Ostapenko sends amused reaction

Jelena Ostapenko stormed into the Qatar Open final with a hugely impressive 6-3, 6-1 win over defending champion Iga Swiatek. So dominant was Ostapenko that the World No. 2 smashed her racket into the ground after dropping to 3-0 in the second set.

Immediately after the incident, the cameras caught Ostapenko shooting a wry smile in the direction of her opponent, who was slumped in her chair. To that point in the match, the Latvian had effectively broken Swiatek’s spirit. She’d not trailed at any point in the contest, broke serve five times, and at one point reeled off six consecutive games. It was Swiatek’s first loss in Doha for five years.

You can watch a video of the incident below (via @TheTennisLetter on X):

The Qatar semifinal was the fifth time that Ostapenko and Swiatek had met on a tennis court, and the result confirmed the Latvian’s thorough dominance of her higher-rated opponent. They first met in 2019, with Ostapenko winning 6-0, 6-2; then she won again at Indian Wells in 2021, again in straight sets. They met in Dubai in 2022, with Ostapenko needing three sets to prevail.