American tennis star Taylor Townsend is earning widespread praise for how she handled a heated post-match confrontation at the U.S. Open after defeating former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko on Aug. 27.
Townsend, ranked No. 139 in singles, stunned the tennis world by advancing to the third round. But the match became as memorable for its aftermath as for Townsend’s performance on the court.
Following the final point, the two players met at the net, where Ostapenko allegedly told Townsend she had “no class” and “no education.”
In a now-viral clip captured by ESPN, Townsend is seen shutting down the remarks, telling her opponent to “learn how to take a loss better.” She then turned to the roaring New York crowd, hyping them up as boos rained down on Ostapenko.
In a sideline interview, Townsend detailed the exchange:
“People get upset when they lose, and some people say bad things. She told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S. So I’m looking forward to it.”
Townsend went on to highlight the importance of sportsmanship, contrasting Ostapenko’s remarks with her own composure during tough stretches of the match.
“She was playing really well at the beginning, and when she was playing well, I didn’t say anything. And so that just shows class,” she said.
The clash quickly sparked accusations of racism against Ostapenko, a native of Riga, Latvia. In response, Ostapenko denied the claims on Instagram, writing:
“I was never racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world.”
She doubled down, however, by calling Townsend’s behavior “disrespectful” and attributing the crowd’s support to Townsend’s home-court advantage.
Despite the drama, Townsend made clear that she wants her performance to define the moment. In her press conference, she stated, “I let my racket talk.”
The victory marked a major upset: Townsend became the lowest-ranked American woman to defeat a former Grand Slam champion at a major since Kristie Ahn in 2019, who also beat Ostapenko at the U.S. Open. Townsend now faces a challenging third-round match against world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva on August 29.
