What Happened Between Taylor Townsend And Jelena Ostapenko?
What Happened Between Taylor Townsend And Jelena Ostapenko During The US Open?
Tennis star Taylor Townsend’s victory in the second round of her U.S. Open match against Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko took a sour turn on Aug. 27. What began as a celebration quickly evolved into controversy when footage shared on social media showed the two athletes engaging in a heated argument at the net. During the exchange, Ostapenko, 28, was heard telling Townsend she had “no class” and “no education.”
A net cord move started the heated argument.
Townsend, the No. 1-ranked doubles player, had just secured an impressive 7-5, 6-1 win on Wednesday when the on-court clash occurred. The dispute began after Ostapenko insisted Townsend should apologize for a net cord, a shot that clipped the top of the net but remained in play.
In post-match footage aired by ESPN, Townsend, 29, is seen respectfully approaching Ostapenko for a handshake. However, tensions quickly escalated when Ostapenko appeared to make a pointed comment. Townsend replied, “No, I don’t have to say sorry.” As the crowd’s boos grew louder, drowning out further audio, Ostapenko could be seen repeatedly pointing at Townsend. In a close-up shot, she wagged her finger at the Chicago native, telling her three times: “You have no education.”
Another angle of the incident, shared by Tennis Sphere, shows Townsend firing back before walking away: “You can learn how to take a loss better.” She then smiled at the challenger, telling her, “Thank you so much. Great job. Great play,” before walking away to celebrate her win with the crowd.
Speaking to ESPN in a post-match interview, Townsend shared more details of the exchange.
“I mean, it’s competition. People get upset when they lose. Some people say bad things. She told me I have ‘no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S., so I’m looking forward to it.’” Townsend added confidently, “I mean, I beat her in Canada, outside the U.S. I beat her in New York [inside] the U.S., so let’s see what else she has to say.”
Ostapenko tried to clear things up after the match.
In a now-deleted Instagram Story, Ostapenko addressed the controversy, revealing her feelings of frustration. According to the New York Post, she accused Townsend of being “very disrespectful” for not apologizing following the net cord and for starting her warm-up on the court rather than “on the baseline.”
“There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow, and it was first time ever that this happened to me on tour. If she plays in her homeland, it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants,” she added.
In a follow-up post, the Latvian athlete also denied being a racist, revealing that she had been flooded by messages from people accusing her of being one.
“I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn’t matter where you come from,” she wrote, according to People. “There are some rules in tennis, and unfortunately, when the crowd is with you, you can’t use it in [a] disrespectful way to your opponent.”
Townsend said she was proud of how she handled the situation.
During her post-match U.S. Open press conference, Townsend addressed Ostapenko’s outburst, stating that there has “never been any history” between them, noting how they had played together before in Toronto during a singles match in 2024 and more recently during a doubles match at Wimbledon.
She attributed the heated exchange to Ostapenko simply being upset over the loss. Townsend added that Ostapenko’s reaction was likely a result of the match’s momentum shift, noting that her opponent had been “really well” before “the tables turned.”
“I chalk it up to being upset and, you know, she pulled out all the stops to try and break the momentum. Sometimes people do that, but it is what it is,” she continued.
“There’s no beef. But again, like you guys saw, I didn’t back down because you’re not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself a certain type of way with nothing but respect. If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well. That’s just the fact of the matter.”
Regarding the warm-up controversy, Townsend clarified that she wasn’t doing anything outside of her usual pre-match routine—one she’s followed since her very first professional match—and stressed that her routine wasn’t “targeted” against Ostapenko.
“It’s a sport. I feel like people have gotten a little bit soft,” the tennis star explained. “Everyone has the right to feel how they feel. The problem is—don’t put your expectations on me. If you expect for someone to apologize and they don’t, and you get upset about it—that’s your fault, not mine.” She added, “This isn’t the first, second, third, fourth time I’ve played Jelena, so if she’s complaining about how I warm up, that’s fine.”
When asked by a reporter if Ostapenko’s comments were racially charged, Townsend said she didn’t take it personally, but was ultimately glad she “stood up” for herself.
“The thing that I’m the most proud of is that I let my racket talk. Because ultimately, I’m the one here, sitting in front of you guys, moving on to the next round, getting the next check, moving on, being able to still be here and speak to you guys, and that’s what’s the most important. She’s packed up and she’s gone.”
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What Happened Between Taylor Townsend And Jelena Ostapenko During The US Open? was originally published on newsone.com
