'no Respect' - Ostapenko And Townsend In Us Open Row

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website & app

American subordinate Taylor Townsend said erstwhile French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko told her she had "no class" and "no education" successful a heated US Open row.

Tension betwixt nan brace escalated aft a nett cord went successful Townsend's favour during a 7-5 6-1 second-round triumph - and 25th seed Ostapenko accused her of not apologising.

The brace had a curt handshake aft Townsend clinched triumph earlier Latvian Ostapenko made a remark astatine nan net.

Both players continued to definitive their views successful an animated statement astatine Ostapenko's chair.

Asked what happened astatine nan net, Townsend said: "She told maine I person nary education, nary class, and to spot what happens if we play each different extracurricular of nan US.

"I said, I'm excited, bring it on."

On-court microphones picked up 29-year-old Townsend telling Ostapenko to "take nan L [loss]".

Townsend, nan world number 1 doubles player, past whipped nan crowd into a frenzy by celebrating pinch them wildly.

Boos rang astir Court 11 arsenic Ostapenko departed.

"There's nary beef," added Townsend.

"But I didn't backmost down because you're not going to reproach me, particularly aft I carried myself a definite type of way, pinch thing but respect.

"If I show respect to you, I expect respect arsenic well. That's conscionable nan truth of nan matter."

Ostapenko, 28, is well-known for allowing her frustrations to spill complete and has antecedently received fines for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Afterwards, she posted a connection connected Instagram accusing Townsend of being "very disrespectful".

"I told my force she didn't opportunity sorry, but her reply was that she doesn't person to opportunity sorry astatine all," Ostapenko, who won nan Roland Garros title successful 2018, wrote.

"There are immoderate rules successful tennis which astir of nan players travel and it was nan first clip ever that this has happened to maine connected tour.

"If she plays successful her homeland it doesn't mean she tin behave and do immoderate she wants."

Townsend said she did not expect to person an apology from Ostapenko.

"Saying I person nary acquisition and nary class, I don't really return that personally, because I cognize that it's truthful acold from nan truth," Townsend said.

"If I let what different group person to opportunity astir maine to impact maine successful that way, past they win."

Townsend, an African-American, was besides asked if she thought location was a group undertone to Ostapenko's comments.

"I didn't return it successful that way," Townsend said.

"But besides that has been a stigma successful our organization of being not educated, and each of nan things, erstwhile it's nan furthest point from nan truth.

"Whether it had group undertones aliases not, that's thing she tin speak on."

Ostapenko posted again connected Instagram later connected Wednesday to contradict her comments had a group element.

"I was ne'er racist successful my life," she wrote. "I respect each nations of group successful nan world, for maine it doesn't matter wherever you travel from."