Clash Between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open

By Ava Gomez

Wednesday at the US Open saw a tense exchange between the American Taylor Townsend and the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko spark widespread discussion in the tennis world. After Townsend’s second-round match victory, a handshake quickly escalated into a heated argument between the two players. Townsend alleged that Ostapenko told her she had “no class,” “no education,” and to “see what happens” outside the United States.

Argument between Ostapenko (right) and Towsend (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Other tennis players quickly came to Townsend’s defense, including Naomi Osaka, who condemned Ostapenko’s remarks as “one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority-white sport” and said that Townsend was “the furthest thing from uneducated or anything like that.” Coco Gauff echoed Osaka’s comments, stating that Ostapenko’s remarks “shouldn’t have been said, regardless of how you’re feeling,” and that Taylor Townsend is “one of the nicest people” she’s ever met.

Naomi Osaka talking to media (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Ostapenko later apologised, claiming on her Instagram that the argument stemmed from Townsend’s disregard of tennis etiquette. She alleged that Townsend “had a net ball in a very deciding moment and didn’t say [sorry]” and that “there are some rules in tennis which most ofthe players follow, and it was the first time ever that this happened to me on tour.” She later clarified that English is not her first language and that her words were misunderstood: “When I said education, I was speaking only about what I believe as tennis etiquette, but I understand how the words I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court.”

Townsend, however, did not let the highly covered controversy get to her head. “I have a goal while I’m here,” she told reporters. “I said it last night: just keeping the main thing the main thing, which is I’m here to continue to grow as a player and play my best tennis and put that on display. Anything that gets in the way of that has got to go.” She added that she appreciated Ostapenko’s apology and hopes her opponent would take from this that “it’s better just to focus on yourself.” Townsend advanced to the fourth round of the US Open after defeating Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2

but was denied a spot in the quarterfinals after a defeat against Barbora Krejčíková 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Taylor Townsend facing Mirra Andreeva (Adam Hunger/AP)