American tennis player Taylor Townsend is on her way to the third round of the U.S. Open after defeating top-25-ranked Jelena Ostapenko in an upset victory on Wednesday night. However, a heated exchange between the players after the match ended has gone viral, with some claiming the Latvian player’s angry comments were not only those of a sore loser but also potentially racist.
Townsend wins upset; responds to ‘no class,’ ‘no education’ comments from opponent
Townsend defeated Ostapenko in straight sets, 7-6, 6-1, to advance to the third round of the U.S. Open, the last of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments. The victory was an upset win for Townsend, who ranks No. 1 in doubles tennis but is ranked 139 in singles play. Ostapenko is ranked 25th in women’s singles tennis and is a Grand Slam winner, having won the French Open in 2017.
As the two players shook hands at the end of the match, they appeared to engage in a brief argument that has since been shared widely across social media. Although much of what they said was inaudible due to the noise of the crowd, Ostapenko said, “You have to say sorry” while pointing at the net, to which Townsend responded, “I don’t have to do anything.” The argument continued, with Ostapenko repeatedly pointing her finger close to Townsend’s face before Townsend walked away, shook the hand of the umpire and waved to the cheering crowd.
Asked by a reporter about the argument, Townsend explained, “It’s competition. People get upset when they lose. Some people say bad things,” before she recounted Ostapenko’s comments. “She told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S.”
Townsend, Ostapenko address possible racism in comments
Townsend, one of several Black women tennis players representing the United States at the U.S. Open, was later asked if she thought Ostapenko was being racist toward her with her comments.
“I didn’t take it in that way, but also, you know, that has been a stigma in our community of being ‘not educated’ and all of the things, when it’s the furthest thing from the truth,” Townsend said. She added, “So whether it had racial undertones or not, that’s something that she can speak on, but the only thing that I’m worried about right now is continuing to move forward through this tournament.”
In posts on Instagram, Ostapenko claimed that her complaints about Townsend were related to tennis etiquette. She accused the American of not apologizing for a point Townsend won after the ball bounced off the net and for warming up at the net instead of the baseline.
Ostapenko later addressed “how many messages I received that I am a racist,” saying, “I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
Before Wednesday night, Townsend and Ostapenko had each won one victory against the other. With Townsend now pulling ahead in their head-to-head record, they’ll likely resolve any lingering friction on the tennis court. For now, Ostapenko defends her words and actions while Townsend prepares for her next opponent at the U.S. Open.
