Jelena Ostapenko has apologized for part of what she said to Taylor Townsend in the wake of Townsend's Wednesday win at the US Open. Immediately following the upset, Ostapenko accused her American opponent of having "no class" and "no education"—she reportedly used the latter phrase three times. The comments quickly drew backlash from fans and players alike, and Ostapenko addressed the controversy on Instagram on Saturday.
In a brief statement posted as an Instagram story, Ostapenko said she "wanted to apologize for some of the things" that she said. Specifically:
- "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 I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court."
CNN reports she had earlier explained her frustration stemmed from a moment during the match when Townsend didn't say "sorry" after benefiting from a net cord—a small gesture seen as standard sportsmanship in tennis, per Ostapenko. "There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was [the] first time ever that this happened to me on tour," Ostapenko wrote after the match. "If she plays in her homeland, it doesn't mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants."
story continues below
Townsend, meanwhile, seemed unfazed, telling reporters after a doubles win on Saturday that she hadn't heard from Ostapenko directly and was focused on her own game. "She expected for me to react a certain type of way, and I didn't, and it infuriated her," Townsend said, per the Athletic. "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." (Naomi Osaka had a strong reaction to Ostapenko's comments.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
