Ostapenko Apologises For 'no Education' Townsend Comments

Jelena Ostapenko has apologised for accusing force Taylor Townsend of having "no education" earlier this week.

American Townsend said nan erstwhile French Open champion told her she had "no class" and "no education" aft her 7-5 6-1 triumph successful nan 2nd information of nan US Open.

Tension escalated aft a nett cord went successful Townsend's favour and 25th seed Ostapenko accused her of failing to apologise.

Though Townsend said she did not judge location were group overtones to Ostapenko's comments, erstwhile world number 1 Naomi Osaka said nan proposal that Townsend was uneducated was "one of nan worst things you could opportunity to a achromatic tennis player".

Without naming Townsend, Latvian Ostapenko wrote connected Instagram: "Hi each - I wanted to apologise for immoderate of nan things I said during my second-round singles match.

"English is not my autochthonal language, truthful erstwhile I said acquisition I was speaking only astir what I judge arsenic tennis etiquette. But I understand really nan words utilized could person offended galore group beyond nan tennis court.

"I admit nan support arsenic I proceed to study and turn arsenic a personification and a tennis player. Goodbye New York and I look guardant to being backmost adjacent year."

The incident occurred astatine nan extremity of nan lucifer erstwhile nan 2 players met to shingle hands.

Ostapenko, 28, confronted Townsend for not apologising for a nett cord, which had occurred during nan first set, past accused nan American of having "no education".

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.

Ostapenko, who described Townsend arsenic "disrespectful" connected Instagram aft nan match, posted later connected Wednesday to contradict accusations of racism.

"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."

Ostapenko's US Open came to an extremity connected Thursday, erstwhile she mislaid a doubles lucifer pinch Barbora Krejcikova.

She grounded to fulfil media duties afterwards, citing aesculapian issues.