Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko has strongly denied racism accusations after telling American opponent Taylor Townsend she has “no education and no class” following their heated US Open clash at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.
The 2017 French Open champion found herself at the centre of a storm after new footage emerged showing the full extent of their courtside confrontation, which sparked immediate allegations of racial undertones on social media.
Townsend, who won the second-round match 7-5, 6-1, revealed the Latvian’s comments during her post-match interview, prompting widespread criticism and forcing Ostapenko to defend herself on Instagram.
The newly released fan footage captures Townsend’s composed response to the furious 25th seed. “Whatever you want to say but you can learn how to take a loss better,” Townsend says calmly. “Thank you so much. Great job. Great play.”
As Ostapenko picked up her bag to leave Court 11, she appeared to look up at jeering fans and, according to multiple social media observers, mouthed “f*** you everyone” to those in the stands.
The confrontation began when Townsend’s shot clipped the net cord at 5-5 in the first set, helping secure a crucial point. Traditional tennis etiquette suggests players apologise for such fortunate shots, but Townsend chose not to acknowledge the incident.
“You have to say sorry,” Ostapenko told her opponent after the match. “No I don’t have to say sorry,” Townsend replied firmly.
Speaking to ESPN immediately after her victory, Townsend revealed the full extent of Ostapenko’s tirade: “She told me I have no class, no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US. So, I’m looking forward to it: I beat her in Canada, outside the US, so let’s see what else she has to say.
The American added with a shrug: “It’s competition, people get upset when they lose, some people say bad things.”
Hours later, Ostapenko took to Instagram expressing shock at receiving messages accusing her of racism. “Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist,” she wrote. “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.”
When asked during her press conference whether she believed Ostapenko’s comments contained racial undertones, Townsend, who is Black, carefully navigated the sensitive topic.
“That’s something that you’re going to have to ask her,” she said. “I didn’t take it in that way, but also 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.”
She continued: “So whether it had racial undertones or not, that’s something she can speak on. The only thing that I’m worried about right now is continuing to move forward through this tournament.”
Ostapenko claimed Townsend had also broken protocol by warming up at the net rather than the baseline, calling it “very disrespectful and against the rules of a tennis match”. However, Townsend dismissed this complaint, noting she has followed the same warm-up routine throughout her career.
“You know, this isn’t the first, second, third, fourth time I’ve played Jelena,” Townsend explained. “If she’s complaining about how I warm up, that’s fine. I’ve been doing this since even juniors. It wasn’t anything targeted towards her.”
In her Instagram statement, Ostapenko attempted to justify her behaviour by focusing on the net cord incident. “I told my opponent that she was very disrespectful as she had a net ball in a very deciding moment and didn’t say sorry,” she wrote. “There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was the first time ever that this happened to me on tour.”
She added: “If she plays in her homeland it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.”
Townsend, currently ranked world No. 1 in doubles but No. 139 in singles, found humour in Ostapenko’s social media defence. “Honestly, I laugh at it. I think it’s comical,” she said. “To then go online and have to justify what you said, you obviously feel some type of way and feel like you have to give an explanation for how you acted.”
The incident adds to Ostapenko’s growing reputation for on-court controversies. In 2021, she was accused by Ajla Tomljanovic of lying about needing a medical timeout during their Wimbledon match. Last year, she refused to shake hands with Victoria Azarenka after a loss, earning criticism for poor sportsmanship.
The Latvian has also received fines for unsportsmanlike conduct, including a $10,000 (£7,600) penalty at Wimbledon 2022 for knocking over her chair in frustration. A YouTube compilation titled “Jelena Ostapenko DRAMA Ultimate Compilation” documents her various on-court outbursts.
Townsend’s victory marks her first third-round appearance at a Grand Slam since 2023. She becomes the lowest-ranked American woman to defeat a past Grand Slam champion at a major since Kristie Ahn beat Ostapenko herself at the 2019 US Open.
“The thing that I’m the most proud of is that I let my racket talk,” Townsend said. “Because ultimately, I’m the one here, sitting in front of you guys, moving on to the next round, getting the next check. She’s packed up and she’s gone.”
The American, who won this year’s Wimbledon doubles title, posted on social media after the match with a cryptic message: “Brought the fire, some people can’t take the heat.”
Despite the controversy, Townsend said she bears no ill will towards Ostapenko. “There’s never been any history. I don’t know how she feels about me, but there’s no beef on my side,” she insisted. “I’ve never been the one to back down from anything.”
The incident has reignited discussions about sportsmanship and racial sensitivity in tennis, with many observers noting the loaded nature of telling a Black athlete they lack education – a stereotype that has historically been used to demean Black communities.
Townsend faces a challenging third-round match against fifth-seeded Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva on Friday, while Ostapenko exits the tournament amid fresh questions about her temperament and conduct.
The controversy overshadowed what should have been a celebration of Townsend’s impressive performance, having recovered from 3-5 down in the opening set to win nine of the next eleven games and secure victory in under two hours.
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