The field is starting to whittle down at the US Open, as the second round is in progress and the draw gets cut down to 32 on both the men's and women's side. In addition to some thrilling tennis, there was a little drama at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the first day of the Round of 64 on Wednesday.
After a match between American Taylor Townsend and No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko, the two had a very heated moment at the net. Townsend used the home crowd to come back from an early deficit and pick up a straight-sets win, 7-5, 6-1. The two argued long after the handshake and the crowd continued to boo the Latvian.
Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got in a heated interaction after their second round match at the US Open.
Townsend is on to the third round. pic.twitter.com/cOIYzoyfmG
— ESPN (@espn) August 27, 2025
As the winner, Townsend got to tell her side of the story first in her on-court interview.
After a heated second round match at the US Open, American Taylor Townsend calls out her opponent, Latvian Jelena Ostapenko:
"She told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S." pic.twitter.com/FikAWiitcO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 27, 2025
“It's competition. People get upset when they lose,” Townsend said. “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. I'm looking forward to it. I beat her in Canada, outside the U.S., so let's see what she has to say.”
Ostapenko was quick to respond, posting a three-page reply on her Instagram story, saying that Townsend was “disrespectful” before and during the match and that is what led to the altercation.
Ostapenko led throughout most of the first set and served for the set at 5-3, but was broken in her next two service games as the American took it 7-5. After flipping the opening stanza, Townsend quickly ran away with the second set and advanced to the third round where she will take on No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva.
During her career, Ostapenko has become known for cold handshakes and some choice words at the net, so this didn't come as a total surprise.
Andreeva will be a much tougher test for Townsend, as the young Russian prodigy has lost just five games in two matches leading up to the Round of 32. She dominated Anastasia Potapova 6-1, 6-3 on Wednesday evening and is looking like one of the in-form players that has her eye on the trophy at the end of the tournament. Townsend will have to bring her very best tennis once again to pull off the stunning upset on Friday.
