Venus Williams Joins Coco Gauff in Taylor Townsend’s Defense After Disrespect at US Open

“No education and no class,” spat a furious Jelena Ostapenko after her stunning defeat to Taylor Townsend. What began as a routine second-round match at the 2025 US Open exploded into a fiery on-court showdown. It was a moment that sent shockwaves through fans everywhere. Voices from the tennis community also poured in, and even legends like Venus Williams couldn’t stay silent.

After Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez defeated Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi in straight sets (7-6(1), 6-1) on Saturday, they faced the media. During the press conference, Williams was asked for her take on the Ostapenko-Townsend clash. Without hesitation, she sided with Townsend and remarked, “My thoughts about it? It was a lot of drama. It was a lot of drama, and I thought Taylor handled it amazingly. I really did. I just thought, with her as a mom, how she handled it—her son will be watching. Her son is watching.”

She further added, “She handled it with class, in a situation that was not so classy, and just moved on and won again. So, she’s handling it amazingly. I’m rooting for her. She’s a wonderful person, a great mom, and I hope she can keep going.” No one expected such comments from the Latvian, but they certainly faced backlash from the masses. Taylor, on the other hand, kept her calm as she rallied past her opponents, even defeating Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2 to reach the Round of 16 for the first time since 2019. She has been silencing her critics with her impressive performances.

Townsend was more casual about those comments, as she believed that the Latvian didn’t have any racial overtones in them. However, Naomi Osaka felt otherwise, calling it “one of the worst things you could say to a Black tennis player.” Even Coco Gauff was enraged by these remarks; when asked about the controversy, she didn’t back down from defending her dear friend against the Latvian.

Talking to the media, Gauff explained, “I really hate to see that, you know, maybe this is some of the first people hearing who Taylor Townsend is. And I don’t want that to be the main focus of who she is. Because she’s a lot more than that, she’s a mom, she’s a great friend, she’s a talented tennis player. And a good person. At the end of this tournament, I hope people will do a deep dive into her and get to know her more than what was said in the previous match.”

Gauff acknowledged that Ostapenko’s remarks were made in the heat of the moment, likely fueled by the frustration of defeat. Still, she firmly stated that such comments were unacceptable, no matter the circumstances. With the backlash mounting, Ostapenko is facing the heat, but has she apologized? She certainly has.

Taylor Townsend finally receives her apology from Jelena Ostapenko

Their back-and-forth began when a net cord went in Townsend’s favor, and she didn’t extend the customary apology Ostapenko’s way. Days after her comments on court, Ostapenko came forward to issue an apology before leaving for her homeland. Without naming Townsend, she took to her social media to write, “Hi all – I wanted to apologise for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match.

She further added, “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. I appreciate the support as I continue to learn and grow as a person and a tennis player. Goodbye, New York, and I look forward to being back next year.”

The apology was long overdue, and it came at the perfect time. Why? Ostapenko’s U.S. Open journey ended on Thursday when she and Barbora Krejcikova lost their doubles match. Meanwhile, Taylor Townsend is set to face the Czech national in her Round of 16 match at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Don’t want to miss a moment? Head to EssentiallySports’ live blog of the Slam.