Jelena Ostapenko has rejected suggestions she was racist after a fiery post-match exchange with Taylor Townsend at the US Open.
The pair clashed in the second round at Flushing Meadows and then engaged in a finger-pointing row at the side of the court to loud boos from the crowd following Townsend’s popular 7-5 6-1 victory at her home tournament.
Ostapenko later took to social media to accuse her opponent of being “disrespectful” for not apologising for a net ball and criticised her conduct during the warm-up before she was met with allegations of racism.
But Latvia’s Ostapenko said on a now-deleted post on her Instagram story: “Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist. 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.
“There are some rules in tennis and unfortunately when the crowd is with you, you can’t use it in disrespectful way to your opponent.
“Unfortunately for me coming from such a small country I don’t have that huge support and a chance to play in homeland. I always loved to play in the US and US Open but this is the first time someone is approaching the match this disrespectful way.”
In a separate now-deleted social media post, Ostapenko added: “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.
“If she plays in her homeland, it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.”
Townsend did get to celebrate her upset of the 25th seed in full-hearted fashion, she said in her on-court interview: “It’s competition, people get upset when they lose and some people say bad things.
“She told me I have no class, I have no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US. I’m looking forward to it. I beat her in Canada outside the US so let’s see what else she has to say.”
Later in Townsend’s press conference, she was asked if there were racial undertones to Ostapenko’s on-court remarks, the American added: “I’m very proud as a black woman being out here representing myself and representing us and our culture.
“I make sure that I do everything that I can to be the best representation possible every time that I step on the court and even off the court.
“So I can’t speak on how she felt about it. That’s something that you’re going to have to ask her. I didn’t take it in that way, but also, that has been a stigma in our community of being not educated and all of the things when it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was given a test by Polina Kudermetova in the night session but came through 7-6 (4) 6-2 and will next face former finalist Leylah Fernandez.
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