Taylor Townsend expects no disrespect from someone she has extended her grace and respect to. But things went awfully wrong when Jelena Ostapenko lashed out at the American following her loss. We know what the Latvian star said to Townsend following her loss. It wasn’t anything pretty, but it seemed to involve quite a bit of misunderstanding. Ostapenko soon realized that using words like “no education” and “no class” wasn’t something that the American community appreciated. She took to social media to do some damage control. But not everyone seemed convinced by the apology. 

Taylor Townsend during her recent appearance on CBS Sports, revealed her thoughts on Ostapenko’s apology letter. The host, Gayle King, highlighted that the Latvian claimed that English was her second language, and she didn’t completely understand the words and the impact of the things that she said. Nevertheless, Townsend handled that pretty well and settled things down quickly. The reason? She claimed to have understood her former opponent’s stance.

She explained, “The thing is, I have compassion and understanding. I know and understand that it’s not her first language.” Townsend continued, “And I said this, I said that I don’t think that she really understands the words that she said and what they mean to us and our culture and where we are in America. She doesn’t understand the magnitude of what those words mean and the weight behind them.” However, King felt like there was a ‘but’ coming up. And it did!  

She admitted that, after all things said and done, Ostapenko’s apology lacked sincerity. But she had to give grace where it was due. What was the big ‘but’ though? Townsend continued, “But then, like I said, I was like, ‘I don’t tolerate disrespect.’ And especially when I treat you with respect and sportsmanship, and I’m honoring the game, don’t disrespect me.”

And while the world was concerned about Townsend getting disturbed, she jumped into the court and partnered with Katerina Siniakova in the women’s doubles. She claimed that she’d never really let any kind of drama deter her from the goal on the court. Maybe that’s another reason, apart from her calm demeanor that diffused the situation, that garnered praise from her fellow compatriots Ben Shelton, Coco Gauff, and others. But in the end, did Taylor Townsend really accept the Latvian’s apology? It certainly seems that way. But let’s take a better look at it, shall we?

Taylor Townsend reacts to Jelena Ostapenko’s apology for the first time

Taking to Instagram, Ostapenko revealed that she was disrespected when Townsend didn’t apologize despite getting a net ball at a decisive moment that could have made or broken the game. Later on, she added reasons for her actions on the court, claiming that the American warmed up right next to the net, which was apparently against the rules of tennis. But then she realized the impact of her words through the backlash received, and she was quick to apologize. 

And reacting to that, Townsend claimed, “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.” 

She believed that it was a learning lesson for the Latvian and let it all go. But the reality still hits differently. What do you think of the on-court altercation between Ostapenko and Townsend? Do you think Ostapenko’s apology was genuine?