Tension at the US Open: Townsend and Ostapenko have a heated argument
In an emotionally charged encounter at the US Open, tennis players Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko engaged in a tense verbal exchange following their second-round match.
After Townsend prevailed with a score of 7-5 and 6-1, the tension between both players became evident. The face-to-face discussion on court 11 captured the attention of everyone present.
“He told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we leave the United States,” declared Townsend, originally from Chicago.
Taylor Townsend
After the customary greeting on the court, both players remained close, instead of separating as is usual. Ostapenko, who was the French Open champion in 2017, pointed at Townsend with her finger while they were talking.
Townsend commented that competition generates these situations, and that it’s normal for people to get upset when they lose.Taylor Townsend celebrates her victory over Jelena Ostapenko.
Townsend added that she kept her composure when Ostapenko was playing well, which, according to her, demonstrated her class.
After the discussion, Townsend went to the stands, cheering on the audience. The tennis player also recalled, during her on-court interview, that she had already defeated Ostapenko on another occasion, tying their personal record before Wednesday’s match.
During a prolonged absence of Ostapenko in the locker room, while the match was still in progress, Townsend used a jump rope, taking advantage of the pause in the game.
Ostapenko has had run-ins with other rivals in the past, such as in 2021 at Wimbledon, when she lost to Alja Tomljanovic.
Recently, Townsend reached the number 1 spot in the WTA doubles ranking. This is her first time in the third round in singles at a Grand Slam tournament since 2023.
In singles, Townsend is ranked number 139. She is the lowest-ranked American woman to defeat a former Grand Slam champion in singles at a major since Kristie Ahn defeated Ostapenko at the 2019 US Open.
