US Open 2025: How Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko match ended in heated on-court exchange - 'No education, no class'
By Leon Imber
Published 28/08/2025 at 09:44 GMT+1
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Jelena Ostapenko and home favourite Taylor Townsend were embroiled in a heated on-court exchange during their US Open second-round meeting. The incident occurred when the pair met at the net to shake hands after Townsend clinched the 7-5 6-1 victory, with Ostapenko seeming to initiate the discussion, before Townsend was heard telling her to "take the L", with boos ringing around Court 11.
Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia (R) argues with Taylor Townsend of the United States (L) following their Women's Singles
Image credit: Getty Images
There were unsavoury scenes between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko after their US Open second-round clash on Wednesday, as an animated argument took place on Court 11 after they shook hands.
Townsend advanced to the third round of her home Grand Slam with a 7-5 6-1 victory, which was overshadowed by the scenes which took place afterward, as Ostapenko appeared to initiate the exchange before on-court microphones picked up Townsend telling the former French Open champion to "take the L".
Boos rang around the court as the pair underwent a fierce exchange next to Ostapenko's chair, and Townsend said in her post-match press conference that the Latvian told her she had "no education" and "no class".
The pair have met in singles ties on two previous occasions, in Toronto last year and at Flushing Meadows in 2018. They also faced each other in doubles last month at Wimbledon, and Townsend said they had no previous history of confrontations.
"Like you said, we've played many times before," Townsend said. "No, there's never been any history. I don't know how she feels about me, but there's no beef on my side.
"She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the US. I said, 'I'm excited, bring it'.
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'I stood up for myself' - Townsend says Ostapenko told her she has 'no education and no class'
Video credit: SNTV
"I've never been the one to back down from anything like that. I just thought that it was really interesting."
Townsend added that Ostapenko was "playing amazing in the first set and couldn't miss" but suggested her attitude took a turn when the tide of the match began to change.
She added: "I had my head down and head in my strings and just tried to just continue to plug away.
"That's what I kept telling myself. Keep fighting. Hopefully you'll get a break, and you'll get an opportunity to try and implement some of your strategy, but she was kind of taking the racquet out of my hands.
"I mean, was hitting amazing shots. Serve plus one off of my returns, playing really great tennis.
"Sometimes that happens. In my head I was like, if this is one of those matches, because she's that type of player, it's just one of those matches. But I wasn't disappointed in the first set of anything that I was doing. I wasn't doing anything wrong. She was just playing really well.
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"Then when the tables turned, it all of a sudden became an issue. You know, so I chalked it up to competition. I chalk it up to being upset and, you know, she pulled out all the stops to try and break the momentum. Sometimes people do that, but it is what it is.
"Still, 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.
"I think that that's tennis, right? You know no matter what's going on, it's me versus you, but at the end of the day we have to respect each other and respect what happens out on the court. It's competition.
"So it was unfortunate, but, you know, it's something I can put on my TikTok."
Journalists present at the press conference asked Townsend for a response over a social media post made by Ostapenko - which has since been deleted - saying her issue stemmed from the American not apologising for a net cord that went in her favour and not warming up immediately from the baseline before the match.
Townsend replied: "It's sports. People talk trash. People say things. Whatever, people get mad.
"Everyone has a right to feel how they feel. The problem is don't push your expectations on me. If you expect for someone to apologise and they don't and you get upset about it, that's your fault, not mine.
"At the end of the day, I honestly was shocked that it was a net cord, because I was ready to play the point. So she was standing at the net afterwards, after she missed the shot was like, 'oh, whatever'.
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Video credit: SNTV
"But this isn't anything new. Let's not act like this is new. It's not new. People know that this is the MO [modus operandi].
"Like I said, all the stops were pulled out. This isn't the first, second, third, fourth time I've played Jelena, so if she's complaining about how I warm up, that's fine. Everyone knows this is something that I do.
"You can go back to the time that I played my first-ever pro tennis match, and I've been doing this since even juniors.
"It wasn't anything targeted towards her to try and take her off of her game or her rhythm. I just was doing my thing.
"Honestly, laugh at it. I think it's comical. I think that it's kind of funny, because to then go online and have to justify what you said, you obviously feel some type of way and feel like you have to give an explanation for how you acted.
"I don't feel like I have to explain how I acted. I think it was very self-explanatory. I'm standing in what I said."
Following their tense exchange, Townsend went to the other side of the court and began to celebrate wildly, encouraging the home supporters into a big ovation before Ostapenko was booed off as she departed.
Ostapenko posted on Instagram thanking her fans for their support, and said she will "come back stronger".
"Situations like that motivate me to work even harder," she added.
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'Sometimes she can lose control' - Sabalenka hopes she can be someone for Ostapenko to talk to
Video credit: SNTV
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said she spoke with Ostapenko after the match, and while conceding the No. 25 seed "sometimes can lose control," said she is "nice" and faces "some struggles".
"I was just trying to help her to, I don't know, maybe face it more in mature way," Sabalenka said. "But I was just trying to help her to settle down and just was someone she could speak to and just let it go.
"I think she just sometimes can just lose control over her emotions, which is pretty tough. I really hope that one day she will figure herself and she will handle it much better.
"Sometimes when you struggle with some things in life, it of course can reflect your tennis career, and on court you're more unstable, and you can lose control. I'm pretty sure, looking back, she's not happy with her behaviour."
Ben Shelton, Townsend's doubles partner, described the comments made towards her as "shocking".
"Not the smartest thing to say to an American in New York City," he said. "She handled her business. [I'm] always going to back Taylor. I don't know exactly what happened during the match, but happy for her that she's making a run in the singles draw."
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