Ostapenko apologises to Townsend for ‘no education’ comments

Jelena Ostapenko has apologised for immoderate of the words she utilized successful a tense altercation with American Taylor Townsend astatine the US Open, which led to a backlash, with the Latvian stating that English was not her autochthonal language.

The contention ignited aft Townsend, who is Black, bushed 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 successful a pugnacious second-round conflict connected Wednesday earlier being dragged into a verbal duel by her hostile pursuing their handshake.

Townsend revealed portion of the speech successful her on-court interview, saying Ostapenko accused her of having “no class” and “no education”, adding successful a quality league that the Latvian would person to reply if determination were “racial undertones” to the row.

Ostapenko said connected Instagram that her choler stemmed from Townsend’s refusal to apologise for benefitting from a nett cord – erstwhile the American’s changeable clipped the nett and stayed successful play – and accused her of being disrespectful.

Most players thin to clasp up their racket successful apology aft winning specified a point, pursuing age-old traditions successful the sport.

The altercation prompted four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka to wade into the debate, with the Japanese subordinate saying that utilizing the words that Ostapenko did were the worst things to utter to criticise a Black player.

“I wanted to apologise for immoderate of the things I said during my second-round singles match,” Ostapenko said connected Saturday.

“English is not my autochthonal language, truthful erstwhile I said education, I was speaking lone astir what I judge arsenic tennis etiquette, but I recognize however the words I utilized could person offended galore radical beyond the tennis court.

“I admit the enactment arsenic I proceed to larn and turn arsenic a idiosyncratic and a player.”

Townsend said aboriginal it was bully that Ostapenko apologised.

“That’s fine. That’s cool,” she added. “At the extremity of the day, I deliberation that it’s a acquisition for her … you can’t propulsion your expectations connected different people. That’s what happened.

“She expected maine to respond a definite way, and I didn’t, and it infuriated her, which led her to accidental things that are hurtful, belligerent, offensive, not lone to maine but to the athletics and a full civilization of radical I effort to correspond the champion I can.”

American Coco Gauff said Townsend, who volition instrumentality connected Barbora Krejcikova successful the 4th round, was 1 of the nicest radical she knew.

Townsend said a batch of radical were uncovering retired astir her pursuing the incident.

“There’s a batch of acquainted faces here, but determination are a batch of radical who possibly didn’t person immoderate thought who I was,” she said.

“People being capable to spot maine now, but past being capable to spell backmost and spell into my past and travel my travel and fig retired however has she gotten here, I deliberation that’s ace cool.”