Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko has formally apologized for insensitive remarks towards American player Taylor Townsend following her heated second-round loss at the US Open last week.
Following her loss at the hands of Townsend on Wednesday, Ostapenko was seen verbally accosting Townsend as the two players approached the chair umpire for a handshake. Shortly after, Townsend was asked about the altercation by ESPN’s Kris Budden.
After a heated second round match at the US Open, American Taylor Townsend calls out her opponent, Latvian Jelena Ostapenko:
“She told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S.” pic.twitter.com/FikAWiitcO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 27, 2025
“It’s competition, people get upset when they lose. 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. I’m looking forward to it. I beat her in Canada outside the U.S., I beat her in New York outside the U.S., but let’s see what else she had to say,” Townsend said.
Townsend is Black, and Ostapenko’s suggestion that she had “no class” and “no education” drew straightforward accusations of racism. Some fellow tennis stars, including Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, have publicly supported Townsend in the aftermath of Wednesday’s match.
On Saturday, Ostapenko took to her Instagram story to apologize and clear the air.
“I wanted to apologize for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match. English is not my native language so when I said education I was speaking only about what I believe as tennis etiquette, but I understand how the words I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court,” the Latvian wrote, per ESPN. “I appreciate the support as I continue to learn and grow as a person and a tennis player. Goodbye New York and I look forward to being back next year.”
After winning a doubles match on Saturday, Townsend was asked about the apology, which she was unaware of prior to receiving the question.
“That’s nice that she did that, that she apologized. I mean, that’s fine. That’s cool,” Townsend said. “At the end of the day, I think that it’s a learning lesson for her. Again, like I said when everything first happened, you cannot push your expectations on other people. That’s ultimately what happened.”
Taylor Townsend will look to advance to the quarterfinals of the women’s singles draw on Sunday as she takes on Barbora Krejčíková.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.