Taylor Townsend kicked off her US Open run in style! The doubles World No. 1 is holding her own in singles too, cruising past her first two opponents. But things turned tense in her 7-5, 6-1 second-round win when a net cord rolled her way. That moment set off 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko, who accused her of not apologizing. According to Taylor, “She told me I have no class, I have no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the US.” Townsend, as cool as ever, accepted the challenge to meet again outside the US swing. The fiery exchange sparked plenty of chatter among players and insiders.

Jumping into the conversation was 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, now calling matches for ESPN. She backed her fellow American without hesitation. “People are emotional when they lose. 1000%. A lot of the attention has been taken off of Taylor’s tennis, which I don’t like,” Sloane said. “I do think Ostapenko is a great player. She didn’t show her class and education here. But I do think when we start to throw these things around… this isn’t a one time thing.” Her take made clear that she was standing firmly in Townsend’s corner.

Meanwhile, Ostapenko wasn’t done. Known for letting frustration spill over, the 28-year-old again leaned into her fire. Right after the match, she took to Instagram to call Townsend “very disrespectful.” In her words, “I told my opponent she didn’t say sorry [for the net cord], but her answer was that she doesn’t have to say sorry at all.” She piled on, saying, “There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was the first time ever that this has happened to me on tour. If she plays in her homeland it doesn’t mean she can behave and do whatever she wants.” Taylor Townsend brushed it off, calmly insisting she never expected an apology from Ostapenko anyway.

And this is hardly new for Ostapenko. She has been fined before for unsportsmanlike conduct and has clashed with plenty of opponents mid-match. At Wimbledon in 2021, she lost to Alja Tomljanovic, who went after her for taking a medical timeout. Tomljanovic accused her of faking the need for treatment and said Ostapenko “lied” about an abdominal injury.

It fit the pattern for the 2018 Roland Garros champion, who carries a fiery edge wherever she competes. As Sloane summed it up, “This happens often. We just never talk about it. It just never gets the attention it deserves. Maybe the next time on tour someone will think twice before they say what they say.”

Townsend, on the other hand, is rising fast. She just hit No. 1 in the doubles rankings and is celebrating her first third-round run in Grand Slam singles since 2023. And at No. 139 in singles, she’s making history too.

She is now the lowest-ranked American woman to beat a former Grand Slam winner at a major since Kristie Ahn stunned Ostapenko at the 2019 US Open. And while she didn’t like the argument with the Latvian, she handled the situation well.

Taylor Townsend clears up feelings towards Ostapenko

After her 7-5, 6-1 win on August 27, Townsend didn’t just stroll off Court 11 quietly. During her post-match interview, caught her telling Jelena Ostapenko to “take the L [loss],” before firing up the crowd with a wild celebration. As Ostapenko exited to a chorus of boos, Townsend made it clear later, “There’s no beef. But I didn’t back down because you’re not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself a certain type of way, with nothing but respect. If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well. That’s just the fact of the matter.”

Ostapenko, notorious for her temper and fines, let her frustration spill, but Townsend brushed it aside in press. She even found a way to add some humor to the situation, “No matter what’s going on, it’s me vs you. At the end of the day, we have to respect each other. It was a competition. So, you know, it was unfortunate. But, you know, it’s something I can put on my TikTok,” she told the press.

Now, Taylor Townsend sets her sights on rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva. The 17-year-old has already bagged Indian Wells over Aryna Sabalenka and Dubai against Clara Tauson, storming into the US Open as the No. 5 seed.

Can Townsend disrupt that momentum and extend her dazzling run? Let us know what you think in the comments below! Catch every update from the US Open by following the EssentiallySports Live Blog.