Furious Ostapenka lashes out at Townsend on court after US Open loss

Ostapenko unleashed a verbal volley astatine her American hostile for being disrespectful during their second-round match.

Jelena Ostapenko accused Taylor Townsend of lacking “class” during a furious on-court confrontation betwixt the 2 players aft their second-round lucifer astatine the US Open, wherever the unseeded American defeated the 25th-seeded Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1.

Ostapenko spoke sharply to Townsend during a acold handshake astatine the nett astatine the extremity of the lucifer connected Wednesday.

Townsend astatine 1 constituent said “I don’t person to bash anything” to Ostapenko, who repeatedly pointed astatine her opponent. The American yet walked distant and shook the seat umpire’s manus and proceeded to whip the assemblage into a frenzy.

“She told maine I person nary education, nary class, and to spot what happens if we play each different extracurricular of the US,” Townsend told reporters aft the match.

“I said, I’m excited, bring it. I’ve ne'er been the 1 to backmost down from thing similar that. I conscionable thought that it was truly interesting.

“There’s nary beef. But again, similar you guys saw, I didn’t backmost down due to the fact that you’re not going to insult me, particularly aft I carried myself a definite benignant of mode with thing but respect.

“If I amusement respect to you, I expect respect arsenic well. That’s conscionable the information of the substance … it was unfortunate, but, you know, it’s thing I tin enactment connected my TikTok.

“The happening I’m the astir arrogant of is that I fto my racket talk. Because ultimately, I’m the 1 present sitting successful beforehand of you guys moving connected to the adjacent round, getting the adjacent cheque, moving connected … and that’s what’s the astir important.

“She’s packed up and she’s gone. I’m here, and that’s the lone happening that matters.”

Jelena Ostapenko (left) accused Taylor Townsend of being disrespectful during their lucifer [Clive Brunskill/Getty Images via AFP]

‘Very disrespectful’

Ostapenko said successful a station connected Instagram that she had been angered by Townsend’s nonaccomplishment to admit a nett cord successful her favour during the match.

The 28-year-old besides accused Townsend of breaching etiquette by starting her pre-match warm-up astatine the net.

“Today aft the lucifer I told my hostile that she was precise disrespectful arsenic she had a nett shot successful a precise deciding infinitesimal and didn’t accidental sorry. But her reply was that she doesn’t person to accidental sorry,” Ostapenko wrote.

“There are immoderate rules successful tennis which astir of the players travel and it was archetypal clip ever that this happened to maine connected tour.

“If she plays successful her homeland it doesn’t mean that she tin behave and bash immoderate she wants.”

Ostapenko’s mentation failed to impressment Townsend erstwhile she was informed of the Latvian’s remarks.

“I mean, it’s sports,” Townsend said. “I consciousness similar radical person gotten a small spot soft. I’m not going to lie. It’s sports. People speech trash. You know, radical accidental things. Whatever, radical get mad.

“Everyone has a close to consciousness however they feel. The occupation is, don’t propulsion your expectations connected me. If you expect for idiosyncratic to apologise and they don’t and you get upset astir it, that’s your fault, not mine.”

Ostapenko received words of enactment from satellite fig 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who revealed aft her late-night lucifer that she had spoken with the Latvian pursuing the incident.

“I person to accidental that she’s nice,” Sabalenka said of Ostapenko. “Just sometimes she tin suffer power implicit her emotions, which is beauteous tough.

“I’m beauteous sure, looking back, she’s not blessed with her behaviour.”