Taylor Townsend succeeded in securing her place in the third round of the 2025 US Open by defeating Jelena Ostapenko with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-1. But this win is a lot more than what meets the eye for Townsend. She became the lowest-ranking American tennis player, at #139, to defeat a Grand Slam champion in a Grand Slam women’s singles event. The last one to do so was Kristie Ahn, and coincidentally, her opponent was also Ostapenko. And the event? It was the 2019 US Open. But this time, things were a bit more intense. 

Right after ending the match, the two players clasped their hands. But just as they turned to the sides, Ostapenko seemed to have said something that Townsend didn’t agree with. She could be heard saying, “No, I don’t have to…” And the entire court got heated up with the argument, as the audience began booing the duo. Nevertheless, the fight broke off, and Townsend walked away to shake the umpire on the chair. And she did receive some thunderous cheers from the NYC crowd. She even encouraged the audience to cheer for her rival, and they complied. Needless to say, the tension in her body language was palpable. 

So, what exactly was the unrest all about? The video shared by The Tennis Letter on X highlights that the Latvian star kept pointing her index finger at the court, as the athletes’ bodies tensed up despite their battle on the court. And the truth about the conversation got out during an interview with ESPN following the match. 

When the reporter asked her about it, Townsend said, “I mean, it’s competition. People get upset when they lose, and some people say bad things. She told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the US. So, I’m looking forward to it.” 

The rivalry between Townsend and Ostapenko began at the 2018 US Open. Therein, the Latvian defeated Townsend with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. This is the match that the American probably had in mind when she said, “When she was playing well, I didn’t say anything. That just shows class.” But in 2024, at the National Bank Open in Toronto, the #139 ranker leveled the gap with a 6-2, 6-1 win. Reflecting on that, she continued, “I mean, I beat her in Canada, outside the US. … Let’s see what else she has to say.”

And as we all noticed, the roar of the crowd was a few decibels higher than the one at Taylor Townsend’s US Open Mixed Doubles appearance. But do you know the reason behind that?

Taylor Townsend left a message with the NYC crowd for her next US Open appearance

At the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles, Townsend paired up with Ben Shelton. The duo won their R16 opening match against Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune. Of course, the crowd at the Louis Armstrong Stadium cheered out loud for Shelton and Townsend. But the WTA star seemed to have higher hopes for the audience. Speaking to the reporter in the on-court interview, she addressed the crowd and said, “It’s been two years since we’ve seen you guys. So thank you for coming out. We missed you guys.” 

But she wanted more! Pointing at the New York City crowd, Taylor Townsend said, “We’re really happy to see you guys, but for our next match, we need you guys to turn up some more… because it was a little dry. So we need you guys to be louder in our next match.” Unfortunately, their next battle against Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison ended up in a 4-1, 5-4 (2) defeat. 

But Townsend seems to be on a roll in the US Open Singles event. So, what do you think of the friction between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko? Let us know in the comments down below, and in the meantime, head to our EssentiallySports Live Blog for minute-by-minute updates from Flushing Meadows.