All eyes in the tennis world have been on the US Open, especially after the heated interaction between American Taylor Townsend and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko that went viral after their match on Wednesday. After Townsend defeated the No. 25 seed 7-5, 6-1 in straight sets, the two argued at the net when going for a handshake.
In the post-match interview, Townsend revealed that Ostapenko said she had “no class” and “no education” during their interaction, which led to questions and accusations of Ostapenko's statements having “racist undertones.” Townsend was asked by a reporter whether she, as a Black person, agreed with that sentiment.
“I didn't take it in that way, but also, you know, that has been a stigma in our community of being ‘not educated' and all of the things, when it's the furthest thing from the truth,” Townsend answered after the match, according to ESPN.
“So whether it had racial undertones or not, that's something she can speak on. The only thing that I'm worried about right now is continuing to move forward through this tournament.”
“The thing that I'm the most proud of is that I let my racket talk… she's packed up and she's gone.”
Taylor Townsend didn't mince words following her upset win over Jelena Ostapenko in the 2nd round of the US Open 👀pic.twitter.com/6Jca26uzbi https://t.co/o4zO4tIrM4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 28, 2025
Ostapenko quickly responded with a three-page reply on her Instagram story, saying that the altercation came about because Townsend was “disrespectful” before and during the match.
“There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow, and it was (the) first time ever that this happened to me on tour,” Ostapenko posted. “If she plays in her homeland, it doesn't mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.”
However, Townsend said her ultimate comments and feelings about the matter were already expressed on the court.
“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,” Townsend said post-match. “She's packed up and she's gone.”
Ostapenko led throughout most of the first set and almost took it at 5-3, but she was broken in her next two service games, and Townsend moved up to 7-5. After flipping the opening set, the WTA No. 1-ranked doubles player ran away with the second and ended up taking the win. The pair have faced off in both singles and doubles before, and although Ostapenko has butted heads with opponents before, Townsend maintains that there's no bad blood between them from her end.
“There's never been any history. I don't know how she feels about me, but there's no beef on my side,” Townsend said. “She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the U.S. I said, ‘I'm excited. Bring it.' I've never been the one to back down from anything like that.”
Townsend is now off to the third round of the US Open, where she'll take on No. 5 Mirra Andreeva. The young Russian prodigy has lost just five games in two matches leading up to the Round of 32, posing as a tougher challenge for No. 139 Townsend.
