Naomi Osaka has weighed in on the heated on-court drama between Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko and African-American champion Taylor Townsend during their U.S. Open match on Wednesday (Aug. 27). The showdown ended with Townsend coming out on top, 7-5 and 6-1.
After shaking hands, Ostapenko was seen having an intense exchange with Townsend accusing her of having “no class” and “no education” after the Chicago native refused to apologize for benefiting from a net cord. The latter happens when a ball clips the net before dropping in play.
Townsend, however, held her ground and reportedly told her opponent, “No, I don’t have to say sorry.”
The exchange didn’t sit right with fellow Tennis champ, Osaka, who didn’t mince words when asked about the controversy.
“I think obviously it’s one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority White sport,” the 27-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion told reporters. “And granted, 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.”
Osaka, who has faced Ostapenko on the court multiple times, then hinted that this isn’t the first time the player has crossed a line. “If you’re genuinely asking me about the history of Ostapenko, I don’t think that’s the craziest thing she’s said,” she admitted. “I think it’s ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to. And I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America.”
Speaking to ESPN after the match, Townsend said, “People get upset when they lose. Some people say bad things.” She later doubled down in a press conference, explaining, “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 with nothing but respect. If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well.”
Ostapenko, on the other hand, took to Instagram Stories to defend herself, denying any racist intent. “Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist. 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,” she wrote. She maintained that Townsend was “disrespectful” for not following what she described as unwritten tennis courtesy.
jalena.ostapenko/instagram
While Ostapenko insisted she meant no harm, Osaka says she believes the backlash will make the tennis player think twice in the future. “I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life,” Osaka forshadowed. “But yeah, I mean, it was just terrible. Like, that’s just really bad.”
Take a look at the intense exchange above and Naomi Osaka’s comments.
