‘one Of The Worst Things You Can Say To A Black Tennis Player’: Osaka Hits Back At Ostapenko

Naomi Osaka has condemned Jelena Ostapenko’s comments during her courtside confrontation pinch force Taylor Townsend astatine nan US Open.

The incident connected Wednesday has been 1 of nan astir talked-about of nan tournament, pinch Ostapenko accusing nan American Townsend of having nary acquisition and nary people pursuing their second-round match.

The comments, which Ostapenko justified arsenic a guidance to Townsend not apologising for a changeable that deed nan apical of nan net, person prompted accusations of racism.

Ostapenko powerfully denied that connected societal media, while Townsend besides said she did not construe nan remarks successful that way, but Osaka gave nan Latvian a verbal volley erstwhile asked astir nan incident.

“I deliberation evidently it’s 1 of nan worst things you tin opportunity to a achromatic tennis subordinate successful a mostly achromatic sport,” said Osaka aft reaching nan 3rd information astatine Flushing Meadows for nan first clip since 2021 pinch a 6-3, 6-1 triumph complete American Hailey Baptiste. “I cognize Taylor and I cognize really difficult she’s worked and I cognize really smart she is, truthful she’s nan furthest point from uneducated aliases thing for illustration that.”

Ostapenko is known arsenic 1 of nan feistiest characters connected nan women’s tour, and Osaka added: “If you’re genuinely asking maine astir nan history of Ostapenko, I don’t deliberation that’s nan craziest point she’s said. I’m going to beryllium honest.

“I deliberation it’s ill-timing and nan worst personification you could person ever said it to. And I don’t cognize if she knows nan history of it successful America. But I cognize she’s ne'er going to opportunity that ever again successful her life. It was conscionable terrible.”

Asked astir nan incident, Townsend hopes nan attraction astir nan confrontation and her calling attraction to it tin beryllium a affirmative for nan US Open and tennis successful general.

“If I’m personification who tin tie immense crowds into nan stadiums arsenic a sanction that tin bring group to travel and bargain tickets and support nan game, past that’s a crown that I’ll gladly wear,” Townsend said.

“Whatever that it is, immoderate type of attraction that it brought, it’s doing nan correct things, which is bring group to spot nan athletics and bringing group successful to support and that’s what it’s each about.”

Taylor Townsend successful action during her doubles lucifer pinch Katerina Siniakova against Aldila Sutjiadi and Nadiia Kichenok connected Thursday astatine Flushing Meadows. Townsend and Siniakova won 7-5, 6-2. Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP

When asked if she thought nan comments had group undertones, Townsend said she didn’t return it that measurement but acknowledged: “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.”

Even privately, Townsend said different players came up to her to broach nan taxable and definitive their support. Online, she gained thousands of societal media followers.

“It’s cool to cognize that group spot you and group are watching and much than anything,” Townsend said. “I was hoping that it was received a definite type of way, and it was, truthful it was conscionable outer validation that I handled things nan correct measurement and that’s what I’m nan astir proud of and nan astir happy with. I wasn’t looking for that, and successful my answers and erstwhile I decided and I said and I said what I said I wasn’t looking for those things, but it’s bully to cognize that I made group proud.”

Aryna Sabalenka has besides addressed nan incident, revealing she had spoken to Ostapenko pursuing nan row.

“I person to opportunity that she’s nice,” said Sabalenka. “She conscionable sometimes tin suffer control. She has immoderate things successful life to look and immoderate struggles. I was conscionable trying to thief her to look it much successful a mature way, trying to thief her to settee down and conscionable was personification she could speak to and conscionable fto it go.

“I really dream that 1 time she will fig herself and she will grip it overmuch better. I’m beautiful sure, looking back, she’s not happy pinch her behaviour.”

Ostapenko was backmost connected tribunal astatine Flushing Meadows connected Thursday successful nan doubles and whitethorn person feared a dispute reception from nan crowd but that did not move retired to beryllium nan case, pinch cheers alternatively than jeers.

The erstwhile French Open champion declined to fulfil her property obligations afterwards, pinch organisers citing aesculapian reasons.