Latvian tennis player Jelena Ostapenko denied being racist after clashing with her American opponent Taylor Townsend at the U.S. Open Wednesday.
Ostapenko’s rant came after her second-round loss against Townsend after the pair were seen shaking hands.
“She told me I have no class, no education and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S.,” Townsend told ESPN. ‘So, I’m looking forward to it: I beat her in Canada, outside the U.S., so let’s see what else she has to say… it’s competition, people get upset when they lose, some people say bad things.’
Ostapenko could be seen pointing her figure at Townsend’s face, and their argument was drowned out by the crowd’s boos.
Since then, Ostapenko’s social media was filled with allegations of racism. Ostapenko firmly denied those claims in a series of now-expired Instagram story posts.
“Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist,” she wrote. “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.”
The Latvian athlete further explained her outburst by calling her opponent “very disrespectful” for not apologizing after the ball had touched the net.
“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.”
When Townsend was asked if she believed there were racial implications in Ostapenko’s disparagements, she said she “didn’t take it in that way, but… [there] has been a stigma in our community of being not educated and all of the things when it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
Townsend said in the same press conference that as a Black woman, she is “very proud” of representing her culture.
“I make sure that I do everything that I can to be the best representation possible every time that I step on the court and even off the court.”
The American athlete, 29, has since taken to social media to post about her win at the U.S. Open, posting a series of photos from the match and writing a cryptic caption that read, “Brought the fire, some people can’t take the heat.”
Ostapenko is no stranger to allegations of bad sportsmanship. The 28-year-old has previously faced backlash for refusing to shake hands with rival Victoria Azarenka after suffering a loss, with social media users branding her a sore loser in 2024.
The Latvian player was also fined $10,000 for “unsportsmanlike conduct” when she knocked over her chair with a water bottle at Wimbledon in 2022.
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