Jelena Ostapenko’s love of power, pace and all things fast is the hallmark of the Latvian’s game style — but in Stuttgart on Tuesday, she revealed that this isn’t confined to the court.

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After advancing when Dayana Yastremska was forced to retire due to illness trailing 6-3, 3-0, Ostapenko was asked about her fearless character in the on-court interview. Rollercoasters are a favored hobby — Ostapenko specifically rides the “crazy ones” to feel an adrenaline rush — but at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the conversation naturally turned to cars.

“I love to drive fast,” Ostapenko said. “I also took extreme driving courses where they teach you how to drift and stuff.”

Famously, the tournament offers a Porsche to its champion every year. Ostapenko, however, already has one: at home, she drives a Porsche Cayenne Turbo precisely because it can go so fast. The former Roland Garros champion was tight-lipped on her respect for speed limits though, merely saying with a laugh: “I hope the Latvian police aren’t watching!”

The manner of Ostapenko’s victory was bittersweet: Yastremska is a friend and her doubles partner this week. It’s a long-awaited reunion for two of the tour’s most ultra-aggressive hitters — in their first outing together, they reached the 2019 Beijing final. This is just their third tournament as a pair — Yastremska’s low doubles ranking meant that they could not be assured entry into doubles draws until now — and they’ve already notched a first-round win over Nastasja Schunk and Ella Seidel.

The best thing about teaming up with Yastremska? Ostapenko’s overflowing fearlessness is doubled at a stroke.

“I feel that’s what some doubles players are missing, this fearlessness,” Ostapenko explained. “When you just go for the shots, you don’t care if it’s in or out, you just go for it. I think that’s a good thing. Of course, singles players are more fearless than doubles players because some doubles players, they can get really stressed and tight in deciding moments.

“I don’t think there are any negatives. If we don’t have a good day, we don’t have a good day, but we will do everything possible to make sure we have a good day!”

For now, their continued progress will depend on Yastremska’s health. Ostapenko will be understanding either way, offering well wishes to Yastremska after the match.

“Health is very important,” she said. “It’s always in first place, and everything else is after.”

In singles, Ostapenko will next face either No. 7 seed Emma Navarro or Beatriz Haddad Maia.