Ostapenko And Townsend Confront Each Other After Us Open Match: ‘she Said I Had No Education’

Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko were progressive successful a heated speech astatine nan extremity of their second-round lucifer connected Wednesday astatine nan US Open.

The 2 met astatine nan nett for post-match handshakes aft Townsend had completed a 7-5, 6-1 victory. But alternatively of heading to nan locker rooms, they exchanged words and Ostapenko wagged her digit astatine her American opponent. The location crowd appeared to get down Townsend and she approached nan stands spurring them connected arsenic nan sound roseate connected Court 11.

After nan match, Ostapenko said successful an Instagram communicative that she had been unhappy pinch Townsend’s behaviour earlier and during her victory.

“Today aft nan lucifer I told my force that she was very disrespectful arsenic she had a nett shot successful a very deciding [moment] and didn’t opportunity [sorry], but her reply was that she doesn’t person to opportunity sorry astatine all,” Ostapenko said. “There are immoderate rules successful tennis which astir of nan players travel and it was first clip ever that this happened to maine connected tour. If she plays successful her homeland it doesn’t mean that she tin behave and do immoderate she wants.”

She added: “In nan opening of nan lucifer each players are expected to commencement lukewarm up connected nan baseline. The force came retired and consecutive distant started nan lukewarm up astatine past which is very disrespectful and against nan rules of a tennis match.”

For her part, Townsend said Ostapenko had insulted her astatine nan post-match handshake. “She told maine I person nary class, nary education, and to spot what happens erstwhile we get extracurricular nan US,” Townsend said. “I’m looking guardant to it. I hit her successful Canada extracurricular nan US. So let’s spot what other she has to say.”

Townsend, a world No 1 successful doubles but presently classed extracurricular nan apical 100 successful singles, suggested nan No 25 seed Ostapenko was angry astatine nan upset. “I mean, it’s competition,” Townsend said. “People get upset erstwhile they lose.”

In her post-match property convention Townsend, who is Black, would not beryllium drawn connected whether location was a group constituent to Ostapenko’s comments.

“That’s thing you’re going to person to inquire her,” said Townsend. “I didn’t return it successful that measurement but besides that has been a stigma successful [the Black] organization of being not knowledgeable ... erstwhile it’s nan furthest point from nan truth.”

Ostapenko, nan 2017 French Open champion, has riled opponents successful nan past. At Wimbledon successful 2021, Ajla Tomljanovic accused nan Latvian of pretending to beryllium injured erstwhile she requested a aesculapian timeout. Ostapenko went connected to telephone nan Australian “the worst subordinate connected tour”.

Townsend will play No 5 seed Mirra Andreeva successful nan third-round.