Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend Exchange Heated Words After US Open Second-Round Match, With Accusations of Disrespect and Insults

NEW YORK — Taylor Townsend defeated Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in their second-round US Open match on Wednesday, followed by a tense interaction between the two on Court 11.

The incident began during the post-match handshake, when the two players confronted each other at the net. Ostapenko pointed her finger at Townsend before the American turned toward the crowd, which responded with loud support.

Following the match, Ostapenko said on Instagram that she was unhappy with Townsend’s behavior during play. She claimed Townsend failed to apologize for a decisive net cord and began the pre-match warm-up at the net instead of the baseline, which Ostapenko described as disrespectful and against tennis norms.

According to Townsend’s account, Ostapenko delivered derogatory remarks following their match during the customary handshake exchange. “She questioned my upbringing and manners, then issued what felt like a veiled threat about consequences beyond American borders,” Townsend recounted, noting she had previously beaten Ostapenko in a Canadian tournament.

The American player, who holds the top doubles ranking while sitting outside the singles top 100, speculated that the 25th-seeded Latvian might have been dealing with frustration from the defeat. During her media session, Townsend stopped short of explicitly labeling Ostapenko’s behavior as racially motivated, though she pointed out that attacking someone’s educational background represents a common prejudicial trope frequently weaponized against Black athletes.

Ostapenko later denied any accusations of racism, writing on social media: “I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world.” She also said she had received numerous messages accusing her of racism after the match.

Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, has previously had disputes with opponents, including a confrontation with Ajla Tomljanovic at Wimbledon in 2021.

Townsend will face the tournament’s fifth seed, Mirra Andreeva, in the third round.