Flickr
Jelena Ostapenko has faced media criticism for her words with Taylor Townsend.
Following the 2025 US Open second round match on Aug. 27, several media outlets accused Latvian tennis player Jelena Ostapenko of making racist remarks towards competitor Taylor Townsend.
After Townsend defeated Ostapenko 7-5 and 6-1, the players met at the net where the two exchanged words and Ostapenko accused Townsend of showing “no class” and “no education.” She added, “Let’s see what happens when we get outside the U.S.,” before Townsend told her she should “learn how to take a loss better.” Ostapenko claimed that the comments were in reaction to Townsend’s lack of apology for a net cord.
“It’s competition, people get upset when they lose,” Townsend said in an on-court interview with ESPN. In her post-match press conference, Townsend was asked whether she thought there were racist undertones to Ostapenko’s 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 told reporters.
Townsend also said she refused to back down in front of thousands of spectators.“I’m just not going to tolerate disrespect,” she said, “I’m very proud as a Black woman being out here representing myself and representing us and our culture.”
Ostapenko later wrote an apology on her Instagram story.
“I wanted to apologize for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match,” she said.“English is not my native language so when I said education I was speaking only about what I believe as tennis etiquette, but I understand how the words I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court.”
“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,” Ostapenko added. “If she plays in her homeland, it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.”
A reporter read Ostapenko’s post aloud to Townsend who was unaware of the apology when she began her news conference after her doubles victory Saturday. “That’s nice that she did that,” Townsend said, adding that she believes it is a lesson Ostapenko needed to learn.
Townsend continued after being further questioned by the press.
“She expected for me to react in a certain type of way, and I didn’t, and it infuriated her,” Townsend said. “Which led her to say things that are hurtful, that are belligerent, that are offensive not only to me but to the sport and to a whole culture of people that I try to do my best to represent the best that I can.”
Ostapenko’s comments immediately drew criticism from fellow players and sports fanatics alike. Four-time Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka was among the most vocal, describing Ostapenko’s remarks as “one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport.” Osaka also criticized Ostapenko, saying she has heard worse about her and doubts that Ostapenko understands the historical context of her comments.
Grand Slam Champions Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens also spoke about the situation and expressed disappointment that Ostapenko’s actions had overshadowed Townsend’s success. Grand Slam Champion,Venus Williams, also supported Townsend and praised the way she dealt with the situation stating, “She handled it with class.”