All the US Open Wednesday clashes, one aside, and the second round of the women’s singles clash between Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend, are on another. Why, you ask? Well, beyond a 7-5, 6-1 in favor of the American Townsend, it’s her intense conflict against the Latvian star in the aftermath on the sidelines of Court 11 just during an obligatory handshake. Tension flared at the net as Ostapenko appeared to wag her finger, sparking loud disapproval from the crowd, and Taylor Townsend was overheard saying, “No, I don’t have to…” .

Townsend, unfazed, walked off to greet the chair umpire to thunderous cheers and even urged fans to applaud her opponent — a gesture the New York audience surprisingly honored despite the heated exchange. Later in an interview, the current WTA No. 1 in doubles shared what “bad things” her European opponent said to her: “She told me I have no class, no education.”

Though the outcome eventually dragged Ostapenko into the negative limelight, the 28-year-old quickly took refuge on her Instagram account, posting not one but three stories to publicly share, “Just a small update about the match.” Starting with her first story, she wrote, “Today, after the match, I told my opponent that she was very disrespectful as she had a net ball in a very deciding moment and didn’t say sorry, but her answer was that she doesn’t have to say sorry at all.”

Then, adding a “To be continued →” note, the next story saw Ostapenko voice frustration over Townsend’s decision to warm up at the net rather than from the baseline, where players typically start, even though Townsend pointed out that beginning with volleys has long been part of her routine. The 2017 French Open champion insisted that this was the first time such an incident had occurred with her on tour, while also cautioning Taylor that just because she’s on home ground doesn’t mean “she can behave and do whatever she wants.”

“Thanks, all my fans for your support 🤍 I will come back stronger 💪Situations like that motivate me to work even harder,” she added, expressing gratitude for those who stand with her decision. But at the same time, Jelena also received several messages that called her a racist, something which she was quick enough to clarify.

“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 said, again reiterating the importance of following tennis etiquette, criticizing Townsend for using the home crowd’s support in what she felt was a disrespectful manner.

Lamenting that, Jelena mentioned that being from a small country, she doesn’t enjoy such overwhelming backing, so it was only natural for her to admit how fond she is of competing in the U.S. Either way, looks like the picture is much clearer compared to how it looked in court. Speaking of which, Taylor Townsend, too, managed to neutralize the situation.

Jelena Ostapenko receives an answer from Taylor Townsend

Fresh off her verbal dispute, Taylor Townsend took a few minutes for a brief interview to discuss the details of the entire escalation. While suggesting that the loss may have left Jelena Ostapenko “upset,” she revealed how the Latvian warned her to see what awaits when she steps outside the U.S. That prompted the 28-year-old to remind her European rival of the time she earned a win in Canada, while also mentioning her New York triumph — delivering a stark message: “Let’s see what she has to say.”

Notably, the two have faced each other before in both singles and doubles, but Taylor Townsend maintained there’s never been any real history between them and stressed there’s no “beef” on her end. Confidently welcoming the challenge, she made it clear to her rival to “bring it on,” showing she’s never been the type to shy away from situations like this.

“Honestly, I just locked in. I mean, she was playing really well at the beginning. When she was playing well, I didn’t say anything. That just shows class. Sometimes people are playing too good and you have to take it, but I turned it up another level, and that’s what I’m most proud of today,” added Townsend in her post-game presser.

Heck, she even lightened the mood by insisting that her verbal fight could turn out to be good TikTok content. Simultaneously, Taylor came to Ostapenko’s defense, clarifying that her rival’s remarks were not racist. However, she did highlight the stigma within her community of being labeled “uneducated.”

The left-handed player, who is set to face Russian star Mirra Andreeva in the third round, also emphasized that her focus remains on advancing in the tournament. Either way, we hope this is the peaceful end of this entire saga as we would like to know your thoughts in the comments below. But for more real-time updates from the ongoing US Open, head to our EssentiallySports Live Blog.