Jelena Ostapenko launched an extraordinary post-match rant at the US Open, telling opponent Taylor Townsend she had ‘no education and no class’.
Ostapenko is notorious for becoming embroiled in post-match arguments and added another to her litany after losing in straight sets to the American in the second round.
Townsend was asked on ESPN what was said and she replied: ‘It’s competition, people get upset when they lose, some people say bad things.
‘She told me I have no class, no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US. So, I’m looking forward to it: I beat her in Canada, outside the US, so let’s see what else she has to say.’
Townsend was wearing a black dress tipped in flames and that was entirely appropriate to this fiery contest. She gave several huge roars in victory and then after a brief handshake had a long exchange with Ostapenko.
The courtside microphones did not pick up much of what was said but Townsend could be heard repeatedly telling Ostapenko to ‘take the L (loss)’.
Jelena Ostapenko is seen yelling at victorious American Taylor Townsend at the US Open
Jelena Ostapenko’s upset loss to American Taylor Townsend at the US Open turned into a shouting match as the world’s No. 25 player got in the face of the victorious underdog
The trigger for the rumpus – not that Ostapenko needs a trigger to start a shootout – appeared to be Townsend not giving the conventional apology when her shot clipped the top of the net.
‘You have to say sorry,’ said Ostapenko after the match. ‘No I don’t have to say sorry,’ replied Townsend.
The rest of the exchange was drowned out by the enthusiastic boos of the New York crowd.
Townsend walked away from Ostapenko eventually and spent 30 seconds whipping up the crowd. There was a distinct sense that Ostapenko had tangled with the wrong customer.
Sky Sports analyst Tim Henman would later add: ‘You have to got to love it. That is what the US Open in New York is all about. The passion.’
Ostapenko has since responded online.
‘Just a small update about the match,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘Today after the match 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.
‘There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was first time ever that this happened to me on tour,’ she continued. ‘If she plays in her homeland it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.
‘In the beginning of the match all players are supposed to start warm up on the baseline. The opponent came out and straight away started the warm up at [the net] which is very disrespectful and against the rules of a tennis match.
‘Thanks to all my fans for your support. I will come back stronger. Situations like that motivate me to work even harder.’
It started as a friendly handshake, but Ostapenko quickly changed tone with Townsend
Townsend didn’t wait to hear the end of Ostapenko’s rant and decided to walk away
Ostapenko accused Townsend of violating tennis etiquette by refusing to apologize
Ostapenko ended on a positive note by thanking her supporters and vowing to return stronger
Last year the 28-year-old Ostapenko, who won the French Open in 2017, made headlines after she refused to shake hands with rival Victoria Azarenka.
A few weeks earlier, Ostapenko blew up at an umpire, accusing the official of being ‘blind’.
‘You make so much mistakes. I never want you on my match again,’ she said. ‘You ruin my matches … I will never forget, never.’
Back in 2022, meanwhile, the Latvian was fined $10,000 for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ after knocking over her chair with a water bottle at Wimbledon.
And a year earlier, she clashed with Ajla Tomljanovic after the Australian accused Ostapenko of faking an injury.
‘You know she’s lying,’ Tomljanovic told the umpire. ‘If you think I’m faking it, you can talk with the physio,’ Ostapenko replied. ‘Your behavior is terrible. You have zero respect.’
The Latvian then branded her opponent ‘the worst player on tour.’
