Jelena Ostapenko Rattled As Crowd Disturbance Disrupts Eastbourne Clash | Watch

Last Updated:June 24, 2026, 23:10 IST

Jelena Ostapenko overcomes bizarre crowd screams and sneezes to defeat Panna Udvardy at the Eastbourne Open.

2024 US Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was left shocked by a sound that felt like a woman screaming and an individual sneezing in the stands during her second-round encounter against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy at the Eastbourne Open, as bizarre scenes unfolded on the court.

The first incident occurred when Ostapenko was on the verge of levelling the match in the second set. Leading 5-1 and preparing to serve, she was distracted by a scream from a spectator in the crowd.

Ostapenko’s surprise was evident from her reaction. Then, at the start of the third and deciding set, Udvardy’s service motion was disrupted by a spectator sneezing from the stands.

Watch the video here:

Despite the unusual interruptions, Ostapenko held her nerve to stage a comeback victory over Udvardy and book her place in the quarterfinals in Eastbourne.

Udvardy made a strong start, dominating early as Ostapenko struggled to find rhythm. She raced through the opening set 6-3, leaving Ostapenko on the back foot and staring at the possibility of an early exit.

Ostapenko raised her level in the second set, breaking Udvardy’s serve twice to level the contest with a commanding 6-1 response. She then carried that momentum into the decider, closing out the match 6-3, 1-6, 2-6 to advance to the next round.

Ostapenko was stunned by Magda Linette in the second round of the women’s singles, but she had finished as a quarterfinalist at the Italian Open, losing to Sorana Cirstea in straight sets.

Ostapenko also played the semifinals of the Qatar Open in February, where she lost to Victoria Mboko in straight sets.

Ostapenko will next play Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez in the quarterfinals, with the latter having received a walkover from Czechia’s Sara Beljek.

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