Ostapenko unleashed a verbal volley at her American opponent for being disrespectful during their second-round match.Published On 28 Aug 202528 Aug 2025Jelena Ostapenko accused Taylor Townsend of lacking “class” during a furious on-court confrontation between the two players after their second-round match at the US Open, where the unseeded American defeated the 25th-seeded Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1.Ostapenko spoke sharply to Townsend during a cold handshake at the net at the end of the match on Wednesday.Townsend at one point said “I don’t have to do anything” to Ostapenko, who repeatedly pointed at her opponent. The American eventually walked away and shook the chair umpire’s hand and proceeded to whip the crowd into a frenzy.“She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the US,” Townsend told reporters after the match.“I said, I’m excited, bring it. I’ve never been the one to back down from anything like that. I just thought that it was really interesting.“There’s no beef. But again, like you guys saw, I didn’t back down because you’re not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself a certain type of way with nothing but respect.“If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well. That’s just the fact of the matter … it was unfortunate, but, you know, it’s something I can put on my TikTok.“The thing I’m the most proud of is that I let my racket talk. …
