Taylor Townsend Speaks Out After Jelena Ostapenko’s US Open Apology: “Infuriated Her”

“I wanted to apologize for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match,” wrote Jelena Ostapenko on social media, days after her explosive “No class” and “No education” remarks aimed at Taylor Townsend. The second-round clash between them was already tense, and Ostapenko’s frustration boiled over after her defeat, triggered by Townsend’s neither raising her hand nor apologizing for a net cord. Chaos erupted in the aftermath, but it seems the Latvian star has had a change of heart. The question remains: has Townsend accepted the apology? Let’s hear it from her.

After her banger match with her partner Katerina Siniakova on Saturday, she sat down with the media for a quick Q&A session. Among the questions thrown her way was her reaction to Ostapenko’s apology. One of the reporters asked how she felt after learning that her opponent had apologized to her, to which she responded: “Yeah, that’s nice she did that. She apologized. I mean, that’s fine, that’s cool. I think it’s a learning lesson.”

She further added, “Like I said when everything first happened, you cannot push your expectations on other people. She expected for me to react a certain type of way, and I didn’t, and it infuriated her. Which led her to say things that are hurtful, that are belligerent, that are offensive, not only to me but, you know, to the sport and to a whole culture of people that I try to do my best to represent the best that I can. For me, it’s nice that she apologized.”

Ostapenko issued her apology on social media; however, she never mentioned Townsend in her statement, which suggests there may still be some animosity between them. The Latvian’s U.S. Open journey came to an end on Thursday when she lost a doubles match alongside Barbora Krejcikova. She even skipped her media duties, citing a health scare. Ostapenko apologized before leaving American soil. “English is not my native language, so when I said education I was speaking only about what I believe as tennis etiquette. But I understand how the words used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court,” she wrote on Instagram. But interestingly, Townsend was not even aware of the apology.

When she was asked whether she was aware of the apology by The Post, Townsend expressed shock, saying that no, she didn’t know about it. “No, I didn’t know that. The fact of the matter is, like I said the other day, I’m still playing, so I don’t have time to be tapped in on what she’s got going on and what she says. I have a goal while I’m here. I said it [Friday], just keeping the main thing the main thing, which is I’m here to continue to grow as a player and play my best tennis and put that on display. Anything that gets in the way of that has got to go. So I haven’t seen anything. I didn’t know what she said.”

With the apology, the chapter has certainly come to an end, as Taylor Townsend holds no ill thoughts toward her opponent. She is now focused on clinching the U.S. Open prize. With her impressive performance in both singles and doubles, things seem to be going smoothly for her—but what’s next?

What’s coming for Taylor Townsend?

As of today, Taylor Townsend is setting the U.S. Open 2025 on fire with her fearless and relentless gameplay. After sending 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko packing in a drama-filled clash, 7-5, 6-1, she didn’t stop there. In the third round, she stunned the tennis world by dismantling fan favorite and No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva, 7-5, 6-2, storming into the Round of 16 for the first time since 2019.

For her next challenge, she will face Czech powerhouse Barbora Krejčíková, and she is no joke. Known for her tactical versatility and relentless baseline game, Krejčíková is the perfect counter to Townsend’s aggressive style. A former French Open champion in 2021 and Wimbledon winner in 2024, she remains one of the most fearsome opponents in the game. Her last match against No. 10 seed Emma Navarro was a thriller, as she battled through a hard-fought contest to claim victory 4–6, 6–4, 6–4. What makes her a dangerous opponent is the fact that she has the ability to adapt quickly as well as mix up the pace.

Her powerful groundstrokes are something to look forward to as well. Taylor Townsend will have to make sure that she comes more aggressively than the Czech powerhouse in the match, which is set to start. To follow the match and everything else going down at Flushing Meadows, head to EssentiallySports’ live blog of the US Open.