Taylor Townsend says she is proud of herself for ‘calling out the bulls***’ of Jelena Ostapenko and showing other women of colour that it is okay to stand up for yourself.
The two players were both in doubles action on Thursday, the day after their confrontation which has been the talk of the US Open.
Ostapenko and partner Barbora Krejcikova lost, and the Latvian did not appear for her post-match press duties, officially due to unexplained ‘medical reasons’.
But Townsend and her partner Katerina Siniakova – the No1 seeds – won and the American spoke again about being told by Ostapenko that she has ‘no class and no education’.
‘I felt like I handled the situation very gracefully and I’m really proud of the way I handled it, I didn’t allow the situation to make me lose my integrity as a person,’ she said. ‘I’ve gotten so much love and support from so many people.
‘I think more than anything what people can take away…it’s okay to be unapologetically yourself. It’s okay to stand up for yourself. It’s okay to call people out for the bulls***.
Taylor Townsend said she was proud of the way she handled her confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko
Ostapenko was forced to deny being ‘racist’ to Townsend at the US Open after their match
Ostapenko told Townsend she has ‘no class and no education’ in an extraordinary tantrum
‘I’m sorry to say but I feel like in society, especially people of color, we are expected to be silenced. Or there are times where we have to be very strategic as to when we speak up.
‘And in these type of moments, it’s important for me to speak up, not only for myself, but for my culture.’
Townsend has received overwhelming support from her colleagues, especially from people of colour such as Naomi Osaka, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.
‘Everyone I’ve spoken to, they obviously said that it was disrespectful,’ said Townsend, of Ostapenko’s comments. ‘Even the mannerisms of her hand pointing at my face, like I’m a child.
‘Everyone said it was bad behavior and also very hypocritical – she’s not known to have sportsmanship, she doesn’t have the best code of conduct. So to call me out on something [not apologising for a net cord] that you don’t even do yourself is crazy. I spoke to several players about it but I’m not that kind of person to keep drama going.
‘No matter what attention comes or whatever, I think it’s about being unapologetic to yourself, be happy in who you are, and never allow anyone to take you out of your character and who you are as a person,’ added Townsend.
‘Integrity is very important to me. That’s something that I preach, even to my son.’
Ostapenko took to social media following her 5-7, 1-6 loss to Townsend to explain her outburst.
Ostapenko accused Townsend of violating tennis etiquette by refusing to apologise for a net cord
Townsend and doubles partner Katerina Siniakova moved into the second round
Ostapenko (seen after her loss on Wednesday) also lost in her doubles matchup the next day
‘I told my opponent she was very disrespectful as she had a net ball in a very deciding momen (sic) and didn’t say sorry, but her answer was that she doesn’t have to say sorry at all,’ she said.
Ostapenko continued: ‘It was first time ever that this happened to me on tour… if she plays in her homeland it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.’
The Latvian, who won the 2017 French Open and last year’s US Open women’s doubles title, also strenuously denied that her claims of Townsend having ‘no class and no education’ came from a place of racism.
‘Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘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.’
Ostapenko also refused to shake hands with rival Victoria Azarenka last year, and was fined $10,000 for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ at Wimbledon in 2022. In that case, she was punished after knocking over her chair with a water bottle.
Townsend and Siniakova will face Alycia Parks and Dayana Yastremska in the second round on Saturday, while Townsend will face No5 seed Mirra Andreeva on Friday in the third round of the main draw.
