At the professional level of any sport, athletes can lose their composure in the high-stakes pressure of the moment. After a defeat, a prideful athlete can be very sensitive. When Taylor Townsend, a seasoned veteran of the WTA tour upset No. 25-ranked Jelena Ostapenko, 7-5, 6-1, in her second-round match at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, it led to a crash out of major proportions. Townsend celebrated demonstratively, interacting with the crowd and basking in her demolition of the Top 25 singles player. A heated face-to-face exchange between the two competitors at center court changed the narrative about what transpired on Court 11.
What Did Latvian Tennis Player Jelena Osrapenko Say To Taylor Townsend?
Townsend accused Ostapenko, a Latvian native with a French Open title to her credit in 2017, of being a sore loser and throwing a tantrum, saying Townsend has “no class” and “no education.”
Townsend, who is a Black American tennis pro, was asked by a reporter if Ostapenko’s comments were racially motivated.
“I can’t speak on her intentions. I can only speak on how I handled the situation and how I handled it was…someone is upset about the outcome that occurred. You lost and you’re upset about that. Saying I had no education and no class, I don’t really take that personally because I know that it’s so far from the truth. The thing I’m most proud of is that I let my racket talk, because ultimately I’m the one sitting in front of you guys moving on to the next round, getting the next check and that’s what’s most important. She’s packed up and she’s gone.”
Townsend Says Attack Wasn’t Racial, Just Sour Grapes
Townsend didn’t spend much time feeding into the reporter’s question. She says she didn’t take it as a racial attack. Just a butthurt competitor who thought she would win and got blitzed.
“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 replied.
“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,” said Townsend, who’s ranked No. 139 among the world’s top singles, but is the world’s No.1 in WTA doubles. She is the lowest-ranked American woman to beat a past Grand Slam champion at a major since Kristie Ahn, who also beat Ostapenko for that honor at the 2019 U.S. Open. The competition doesn’t get any easier in the third-round as TT will clash rackets with No. 5-ranked Mirra Andreeva, the 18-year-old phenom, on Friday.
Latvian Tennis Star Jelena Ostepenko Says She Isn’t Racist In Any Way
Ostapenko heard the drama on social media and took it upon herself to speak out and dismiss some false narratives being circulated about her, posting on Instagram about the confrontation, specifically talking about “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,” Ostapenko posted. “For me, it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
Whatever Ostapenko felt about the loss, she handled it wrong. All she had to do was shake hands and step off. That’s what usually happens, since she is so into tradition. Instead, she got into a shouting match with Townsend in front of everyone and blemished the tournament, while making herself look like a privileged, poor sport.
“It’s a competition. People get upset when they lose,” Townsend repeated. She also said that this was the first time her and Ostapenko ever had any issues.
“She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the U.S. I said, ‘I’m excited. Bring it.’ I’ve never been the one to back down from anything like that.”
Crash Out City: Ostapenko Says She Also Had Problems With Taylor Townsend Respecting the Rules
Ostapenko’s social media post explained her actions by blaming the victor Townsend for being “disrespectful” after not apologizing for the net cord helping her secure a point in the match.
Reportedly, Ostapenko also didn’t like that Townsend warmed up before the match at the net instead of at the baseline, a routine Townsend says she’s been doing for years without issue.
“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 said. “If she plays in her homeland, it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.”
