A fierce confrontation erupted at the US Open on Wednesday when Jelena Ostapenko accused Taylor Townsend of having "no class" and "no education" following their second-round match.
The heated exchange occurred after Townsend secured a commanding 7-5, 6-1 victory over the 25th-seeded Latvian on Court 11.
Rather than the customary brief handshake, the players engaged in a prolonged argument at the net, with Ostapenko wagging her finger at the American whilst making her accusations.
The dispute centred on Townsend's failure to apologise for a net cord that went in her favour during a crucial moment in the match.
Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend had a disagreement at the net at the US Open
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Ostapenko's comments sparked immediate controversy, with the home crowd backing Townsend as she celebrated her victory.
During her post-match interview with ESPN, Townsend disclosed the full extent of Ostapenko's remarks. "She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the US," the American revealed.
Townsend responded defiantly to the threat, stating: "I said, I'm excited, bring it on."
The doubles world number one reminded viewers that she had previously defeated Ostapenko in Canada, demonstrating her ability to win beyond American soil.
Court-side microphones captured Townsend telling her opponent to "take the L" during their prolonged dispute at Ostapenko's chair.
The confrontation continued for several minutes as boos rang out from spectators, before Townsend eventually walked away to engage the supportive home crowd.
Ostapenko subsequently took to Instagram to defend her actions, claiming Townsend had been "very disrespectful" for failing to apologise after the net cord incident.
"I told my opponent she didn't say sorry, but her answer was that she doesn't have to say sorry at all," the 2017 French Open champion wrote.
The Latvian argued that established tennis etiquette requires players to acknowledge fortunate net cords, stating this was the first time she had encountered such behaviour on tour.
She further criticised Townsend for beginning their pre-match warm-up at the net rather than the baseline, describing this as "very disrespectful and against the rules of a tennis match."
Jelena Ostapenko denied racially abusing Taylor Townsend during their altercation
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Ostapenko also suggested Townsend was exploiting her home advantage, writing: "If she plays in her homeland it doesn't mean she can behave and do whatever she wants."
Townsend maintained a composed stance when questioned about the incident, stating she refused to let Ostapenko's words affect her. "Saying I have no education and no class, I don't really take that personally, because I know that it's so far from the truth," she said.
When asked whether she perceived racial undertones in Ostapenko's remarks, the African-American player responded: "I didn't take it in that way."
However, Townsend acknowledged the historical context, noting: "But also 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."
Taylor Townsend revealed that Jelena Ostapenko said she had 'no class and no education'
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She added that determining any racial intent was for Ostapenko to address, emphasising her focus remained on advancing through the tournament.
Ostapenko later addressed accusations of racism through social media, posting: "I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world. For me it doesn't matter where you come from."
The Latvian player has previously been involved in on-court disputes, including a 2021 Wimbledon incident where Ajla Tomljanovic accused her of feigning injury.
She also clashed with officials at the 2024 Brisbane International, demanding an umpire be banned from her future matches.
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Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got in a heated interaction after their second round match at the US Open.
— ESPN (@espn) August 27, 2025
Townsend is on to the third round. pic.twitter.com/cOIYzoyfmG
Meanwhile, Townsend advances to the third round, marking her first Grand Slam third-round appearance since 2023.
The world's top-ranked doubles player, currently 139th in singles, will face fifth seed Mirra Andreeva in her next match.