Jelena's magic show in Paris

Jelena Ostapenko's fairy-tale journey at Roland Garros is what sport is all about - the magic.

It is about setting goals, then working relentlessly to achieve them.

It is about having a dream, then believing in yourself to make it come true.

Most of all, it is about never giving up.

Jelena showed all the makings of a champion during the fortnight in Paris and her self-belief did not waiver even when she was one set down and trailing 0-3 in the second set during the final.

Regardless of what the scoreboard showed, the 20-year-old remained poised and confident throughout the match, staying in the moment and focusing on what she was there for - to win.

She dug deep, continued to fight with her penetrating strokes, adapted her game, and found her way to victory.

She entered the tournament as a teenager, and emerged as a Grand Slam champion just two days after her 20th birthday - an impressive feat that has made her a hometown heroine in Latvia, and an incredible inspiration to young boys and girls around the world.

Having hoisted the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, Jelena's name is now etched in history and she has also entered the fast lane for a spot in the top eight on the Porsche Race to Singapore.

The last time an unseeded player won the singles title at Roland Garros, Gustavo Kuerten lifted the trophy on the exact day that Jelena was born.

With that statistic going in your favour, one may wonder if it is mere coincidence or destiny.

It is fantastic to see young emerging talents in the WTA and as Jelena pointed out after her win, some of her peers like Daria Kasatkina, Ana Konjuh and Marketa Vondrousova are part of the new generation on the cusp of finding a breakthrough in their young careers.

FIRST MAJOR

Winning a first major title, garnering huge success quickly, and suddenly having massive expectations coming from all angles, is a situation which many athletes have to learn to deal with.

Across many sports, athletes have spoken about the challenges adapting to the adulation following a meteoric rise to stardom.

Being thrust into the limelight and dealing with the new-found attention can be overwhelming, particularly at a young age.

Being able to balance the numerous demands and staying focused on the job is key to maintaining consistency.

Aside from mental focus, as a player rises up the ranks, it is important to calibrate the increased physical demands that are placed on the body with more intense competition on top of a rigorous practice regimen.

Many athletes argue that staying at the top is often harder than getting there.

The expectations that athletes place on themselves after winning a major title, not to mention the external pressures coming from the media, sponsors, coaches, family and teams, are undoubtedly challenging 
to handle.

Those who are able to strike this elusive and delicate balance to maintain mental, physical and emotional focuses, are the ones who are able to sustain consistency over the long term.

As we have now transitioned from the clay courts of Roland Garros to the start of the grass season and Wimbledon, the players face yet another challenge of adapting their game styles to a new court surface.

With the depth of talent in women's tennis at the moment given the engaging mix of rising stars like Kristina Mladenovic, Elina Svitolina and Johanna Konta making their strides alongside veterans such as Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep, the change in surface adds another element of anticipation to an already sensational game.

Jelena's achievement at the French Open is a clear indication that it is an open field and anybody's game at this point, making this one of the most exciting times in the sport.

It is certainly going to be a thrilling lead-up to Wimbledon, with players not only motivated by the fairy-tale run of Jelena, but also eager to pick up precious points to book a spot in the BNP Paribas WTA Finals presented by SC Global in Singapore this October.

Melissa Pine is the vice-president of WTA Asia-Pacific and the tournament director of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. She is also a former NCAA player at Washington State University and served as assistant coach of the team post-graduation. To find out more about the WTA Finals, visit www.wtafinals.com