Naomi Osaka Blasts Jelena Ostapenko Over Racist Tussle with Taylor Townsend at the US Open

Naomi Osaka to face Australian star Daria Kasatkina in the third round of the US Open.

Naomi Osaka Blasts Jelena Ostapenko Over Racist Tussle with Taylor Townsend at the US Open

Jelena Ostapenko, Taylor Townsend and Naomi Osaka (via X/Barstool Basketball/The Tennis Letter)

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Naomi Osaka has slammed Jelena Ostapenko for her heated argument at the US Open with Taylor Townsend. Ostapenko confronted Townsend after their routine post-match handshake at the net, which led to both players getting into a fierce exchange after the latter had beaten the former in straight sets.

The heated argument quickly boiled over after Townsend revealed that the Latvian star said to her that she had “no class” and “no education“. Ostapenko tried to address the issue with a social media post, stressing that Townsend behaved disrespectfully by starting her warm-up at the net before their encounter.

She also added that the American star did not apologize after a net cord landed in her favor, while denying any element of racism in her comments to her. Townsend also revealed during her post-match press conference that she did not think there was any racial undertone from Ostapenko’s reaction at the net, but claimed she was disrespectful.

However, reactions have continued to come in on the encounter, with Aryna Sabalenka supporting Ostapenko, while pointing out that the former French Open champion lost her nerves during the argument. Coco Gauff also later on stressed that Ostapenko wasn’t supposed to react the way she did.

More recently, Osaka became the latest player to be asked about the back-and-forth exchange between Ostapenko and Townsend. The four-time Grand Slam champion revealed that the 25th seed didn’t understand the history of America and her statements were terrible:

I think it’s ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to. I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America. But I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life. It was just terrible. I think obviously it’s one of the worst things you can say to a black tennis player in a majority white sport. I know Taylor and I know how hard she’s worked and I know how smart she is, so she’s the furthest thing from uneducated or anything like that.

After crashing out of the US Open women’s singles, Ostapenko failed to win her opening match in the doubles losing alongside her partner Barbora Krejcikova. Meanwhile, Townsend won her opening doubles match with her partner Katerina Siniakova. She will face Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva in the third round of the women’s singles.

Naomi Osaka secured her spot in the third round of the US Open after a straight-sets win

Naomi Osaka secured her place in the third round of the US Open for the first time since 2021. The former World No.1 showed brilliance on the court against American star Hailey Baptiste, winning their clash 6-3, 6-1 in just an hour and ten minutes on Thursday (August 28). She’s now seeking her fifth career Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.

Naomi Osaka Canadian Oen 2025
Naomi Osaka (image via National Bank Open)

During her post-match press conference, she was asked if she sees herself winning the US Open. The Japanese star revealed that she doesn’t prioritize that for now as she only aims to put in the necessary work on and off the court:

Honestly, I don’t really know. I don’t make it my business to know anymore. I kind of just leave it up in the air. For me, I realize that I’ve done everything that I could. I’ve trained really hard. I practiced really hard. If it happens, it happens.

Osaka will face Daria Kasatkina in the third round of the US Open. The former champion is known to play her best on hard courts and all her Grand Slam titles have come on the surface. She arrived in New York at the back of reaching the final of the Canadian Open before losing the title to teenage sensation Victoria Mboko.

Also Read: (Video) Outrageous Scenes as Security Guard Interrupts the Match Between Adrian Mannarino and Jordan Thompson at the US Open