WATCH: Taylor Townsend, Jelena Ostapenko get into post-match spat at US Open
Townsend alleged Ostapenko said she has 'no class' and 'no education'
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2 min read
Taylor Townsend's outfit for her US Open second-round match against No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko featured flames across the bottom of her dress. Little did she know the match would turn plenty fiery, with words spilling over after the two players shook hands following Townsend's impressive 7-5, 6-1 win.
Here's the confrontation:
Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got in a heated interaction after their second round match at the US Open.
— ESPN (@espn) August 27, 2025
Townsend is on to the third round. pic.twitter.com/cOIYzoyfmG
Another video of the exchange showed Townsend telling Ostapenko, "You can learn how to take a loss better."
And here's what Townsend told ESPN in her post-match interview:
After a heated second round match at the US Open, American Taylor Townsend calls out her opponent, Latvian Jelena Ostapenko:
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 27, 2025
"She told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S." pic.twitter.com/FikAWiitcO
"Yeah, I mean, you know, it's competition," Townsend said. "People get upset when they lose. Some people say bad things. She told me I have no class, I have no education and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S. So I'm looking forward to it. I mean, I beat her in Canada, outside the U.S. I beat her in New York [inside] the U.S., so let's see what else she has to say."
Ostapenko posted on her Instagram story after the match:
Ostapenko on Instagram pic.twitter.com/gZGERk9kq4
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 27, 2025
"Just a small update about the match," she wrote. "Today after the match I told my opponent she was very disrespectful as she had a net ball in a very deciding [moment] and didn't say [sorry], but her answer was she doesn't have to say sorry at all. There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was first time ever that this happened to me on tour. If she plays in her homeland it doesn't mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.
"In the beginning of the match all players are supposed to start warm up on the baseline. The opponent came out and straight away started the warm up at [the net] which is very disrespectful and against the rules of a tennis match.
"Thanks to all my fans for your support. I will come back stronger. Situations like that motivate me to work even harder."
Ostapenko, who is from Latvia, added to her story later.
"Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist. 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. There are some rules in tennis and unfortunately when the crowd is with you uou can't use it in disrespectful way to your opponent. Unfortunately for me coming from such a small country I don't have that huge support and a chance to play in homeland. I always loved to play in the US and US OPEN, but this is the first time someone is approaching the match this disrespectful way."
