'Created with love': Ostapenko launches limited-edition merch line

Jelena Ostapenko has never been one to play it safe. Whether she's painting lines with fearless forehands, or turning heads with big wins, the Latvian has built her tennis career by doing things her own way. 

Now, she's taking that same approach off the court with the launch of a limited-edition merchandise collection.

The 2017 French Open champion revealed the initial drop on her social media channels on Monday, saying that the clothing line is the result of "months of work, planning, and excitement," and "created with love, inspired by [her] journey, and made for everyone who has been part of it." The drop includes T-shirts, hoodies and caps in unisex and youth sizes, all of which were revealed in an Anime-style teaser video featuring an animated version of Ostapenko -- what else? -- smashing tennis balls as catchphrases including "Are you ready to fight?" and "Go hard, bring the heat" flashed on-screen.

The collection's artwork was designed by Latvian artist and illustrator Vladislav Lakshe, and Ostapenko says the designs were created as part of an intentional personal branding effort. 

"Every design reflects different moments of the game [of tennos] -- power, focus, passion and joy," she said. "It represents my journey in tennis and the emotions I feel on the court. We tried to capture the spirit of tennis, the energy of competition, and also the fun side of the sport. I wanted this collection to feel authentic -- something that both tennis fans and people who simply love sport and creativity could wear and enjoy."

Ostapenko first teased that she'd be entering the streetwear space last year at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, where she piqued the curiosity of fans and peers by wearing early prototypes of the products, and lamented that the creative process was taking longer than she'd hoped at the time. 

"A lot of people have been asking me, because me and my boyfriend wear some of that stuff," she said. "Everyone is so curious and asking, 'Where can I get it?'"

But in keeping with Ostapenko's all-or-nothing style, this release isn't expected to stick around for long.

Fans can shop the drop online (it's shipping worldwide) while Ostapenko continues her on-court commitments this week in Eastbourne. Seeded No. 3 at the WTA 250 event, she opened her grass-court campaign with a straight-sets win over Francesca Jones.