US Open Drama: Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko Clash After Fiery Second-Round Match
The US Open isn’t just serving up tennis—it’s serving up drama. On Wednesday, Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko lit up Court 11 with a heated exchange that stole the spotlight after their second-round showdown.
Townsend powered her way to a 7-5, 6-1 victory, but instead of a routine handshake at the net, things got spicy. Ostapenko wagged her finger at the American, words were exchanged, and the home crowd roared behind Townsend as she hyped them up from the stands.
Ostapenko later explained her frustration:
“Today after the match I told my opponent she was disrespectful because during a key moment she had a net ball and didn’t say sorry. She told me she doesn’t have to apologize. That’s the first time this has ever happened to me on tour.”
The Latvian star also criticized Townsend’s pre-match warm-up:
“At the beginning of a match, all players are supposed to warm up on the baseline. She came out and immediately started at the net—it’s against the rules and very disrespectful.”
But Townsend had her own fiery version of events. She claimed Ostapenko crossed the line during the handshake:
“She told me I have no class, no education, and said to wait until we’re outside the US. Well, I already beat her in Canada, so let’s see what else she has to say.”
Townsend, the world No. 1 in doubles but currently ranked outside the singles top 100, hinted that Ostapenko’s anger came from losing as a No. 25 seed:
“It’s competition. People get upset when they lose.”
When asked about a possible racial undertone in Ostapenko’s comments, Townsend kept her focus:
“That’s for her to answer. I didn’t take it that way, but in the Black community, there’s always been that stigma of being ‘not educated.’ It’s the furthest thing from the truth. I’m focused on moving forward in this tournament.”
Ostapenko quickly fired back on social media, denying any racial intent:
“I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all people equally. I’ve received so many messages calling me a racist, but that’s simply not true.”
This isn’t Ostapenko’s first run-in with controversy. Back at Wimbledon 2021, she clashed with Ajla Tomljanovic, who accused her of faking an injury. Ostapenko then called Tomljanovic “the worst player on tour.”
Now, all eyes shift to Townsend’s third-round battle against No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva, where the American will aim to let her tennis do the talking.