American tennis star Taylor Townsend pulled off a stunning victory at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, defeating 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in the second round. But while her dominant performance drew headlines, it was a tense post-match exchange at the net that quickly became the bigger talking point.
After the match, Townsend revealed that Ostapenko called her “classless” and said she had “no education” during their face-to-face confrontation. Speaking to reporters, the world No. 139, who roared in celebration after her win, addressed the remarks directly.
“I didn’t take it in that way, but also, you know, 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,” Townsend explained. “So, whether it had racial undertones or not, that’s something she can speak on. The only thing that I’m worried about right now is continuing to move forward through this tournament.”
When asked if she believed the comments carried racial implications, Townsend stressed her focus remained on her tennis, while acknowledging how such remarks could be interpreted.
Ostapenko later took to Instagram to deny accusations of racism following the viral confrontation. “I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world,” the Latvian posted. “For me, it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
The win marks a major step forward for Townsend, who is seeking to continue her impressive run in New York.
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