Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko had a very tense moment following their US Open match, and the American afterward claimed that she was called "uneducated" and "unclassy" by her Latvian rival.
Townsend, who is the doubles world No. 1 but sits at No. 139 in the singles rankings, ousted Ostapenko 7-5 6-1 to make the third round at Flushing Meadows. Moments after the match, the 2017 French Open champion confronted the home player with some strong words. However, the home player didn't back down either.
For context, Ostapenko apparently thought that her opponent didn't apologize after a dead net cord that went her way.
"She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the US. I said, I'm excited, bring it on," the American said when asked what had just happened.
If true, Ostapenko had some brutal words for Townsend. But the 29-year-old also had a brutal line for the Latvian as the cameras caught the American telling the Latvian: "Take the L (loss)."
Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got into an argument after their match at the U.S. Open 👀 pic.twitter.com/od0GwFykBd
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 27, 2025
Townsend insists she was fully respectful to Ostapenko
"There's no beef. But I didn't back down because you're not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself a certain type of way, with nothing but respect. If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well. That's just the fact of the matter," the home player claimed.
Everyone familiar with the Latvian and her personality knows very well that the Latvian is no stranger to on-court controversies. However, this incident stands out.
For Townsend, the most important thing is that she has been through to the US Open third round, where she plays against Mirra Andreeva.
