The US Open women’s draw was overshadowed by a tense confrontation between Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend on Wednesday, August 27, during their second-round match. The incident occurred at the net during the customary post-match handshake.
Ostapenko had accused Townsend of being “very disrespectful” for not apologizing after a net-cord winner on a crucial point and referred to the American as a player with “no education.” The comment was reportedly interpreted as racially insensitive, prompting Ostapenko to address the matter publicly on social media.
“Hi all – I wanted to apologise for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match,” Ostapenko wrote on Instagram. “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. I appreciate the support as I continue to learn and grow as a person and a tennis player. Goodbye New York and I look forward to being back next year”.
After last Wednesday’s controversial incident, Ostapenko found herself in the spotlight for her behavior, drawing criticism from Naomi Osaka and prompting comments from several other players on the tour.
Jelena Ostapenko argues with Taylor Townsend following their US Open match. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Ben Shelton backs Townsend
Ben Shelton, Townsend’s mixed doubles partner at the tournament, spoke after his second-round win over Pablo Carreño Busta. He admitted he didn’t fully understand all the details but suggested Ostapenko’s reaction in front of the New York crowd might not have been ideal.
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“Yeah, I didn’t completely hear or understand everything that happened,” Shelton told reporters. “Yeah, I guess some shocking comments towards her. Not the smartest thing to say to an American in New York City, but she handled her business”.
Even without knowing the full context, Shelton emphasized his support for Townsend, with whom he reached the mixed doubles quarterfinals before falling to Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva.
“Always gonna back Taylor. I don’t know exactly what happened during the match, but just happy for her that she’s, you know, making a run and in the singles draw, we didn’t do what we wanted to do in the mix. So she’s definitely making up for it. And like she said, after the match, she spoke with a racket and yeah, just happy to see her winning,” he added.
