Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 30, 2025
New York-Jelena Ostapenko Apologize for the ridicule Taylor Townsend During Wednesday night’s post-match exchange.
Townsend, the world’s No. 1 in doubles, allowed Ostapenko, the 25th seed, to beat the third round of the U.S. Open 7-5, 6-1.
After the post-match hand, her opponent, Ostapenko, did not apologize for tennis shooting, can be heard blowing up Townsend saying “You have no education… Wait until we are outside the United States”
Some players, commentators and fans called Ostapenko to do these words.
Former World One Osaka’s former world said it was “one of the worst things you can say to black tennis players.”
Today, Ostapenko apologizes for Instagram Story.
“I want to apologize for some of the things I said in the second round of singles,” Ostapenko said. “English is not my native language, so when I say education, I’m just talking about what I think is tennis etiquette, but I know how the words I use make many people offend outside the tennis court.”
Townsend said she hadn’t talked to Ostapenko in person since they had a passionate exchange, saying it was great that Latvians apologized via social media.
“No, she did it, it’s great that she apologized. I mean, it’s good. That’s cool,” Townsend told the media at the U.S. Open. “At the end of the day, I think it’s a learning class for her. Again, like I said when it first happened, you can’t push expectations toward other people. That’s what happened in the end.”
Townsend suggested that Ostapenko attempt to elicit her reaction with “uneducated” remarks.
“She wanted me to be able to react in a certain type of way that I didn’t, and it angered her. It made her say something harmful, warlike, not only offensive to me, but also to the sport and culture I know as much as I can, I do my best to represent my best ability,” Townsend said. “So it’s so nice for me that she apologized. You know, it’s not the first, the second, the third, the fourth. There’s an incident that she’s frustrated with the ropes, so it’s no surprise that she’s doing that.
“Also, we just need to remember that it’s competition, we’re playing a sport. If someone doesn’t do what you want to do, you won’t feel frustrated. Like who is who? Who am I? I won’t be angry because you don’t do what I expect you to do.”
