The talk of the U.S. Open since Wednesday has been the post-match altercation between American Taylor Townsend and world No. 25 Jeļena Ostapenko, in which a heated argument broke out between the two players after Townsend's second-round win.
Townsend later shared what Ostapenko said to her on the court, which included the Latvian telling Townsend that she has "no class," "no education" and to "see what happens when we get outside the U.S." Ostapenko later explained what caused her outburst, saying that Townsend broke some unwritten rules of tennis, which she saw as unsportsmanlike.
It's been quite the controversial situation around the tennis world, and multiple stars commented on the incident on Thursday, including Townsend's fellow American Coco Gauff and two-time U.S. Open winner Naomi Osaka. Both of them emphasized how great of a person Townsend is on and off the court.
“I know what was said after the match. I think it was a heat of the moment thing. I think Jelena was probably feeling emotions after she lost. I do think that it shouldn’t have been said, regardless of how you’re feeling," Gauff said on Thursday night after her second round win. "Knowing Taylor personally, she’s the opposite of that. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Whenever I’ve had a tough moment on court, she’s texting me checking in on how I am. I really hate to see that.
"Maybe this is some of the first people hearing who Taylor Townsend is. I don’t want that to be the main focus of who she is. She’s a lot more than that: she’s a mom, she’s a great friend, a talented tennis player and a good person. At the end of this tournament, I hope people that will do a deep dive into her and get to know her more than what was said in the previous match.”
Coco Gauff on the Taylor Townsend & Jelena Ostapenko situation at the U.S. Open:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 29, 2025
“I know what was said after the match. I think it was a heat of the moment thing. I think Jelena was probably feeling emotions after she lost. It shouldn’t have been said, regardless of how you’re… pic.twitter.com/jk9A3AKM5u
Osaka shared a similar sentiment when talking on the situation earlier on Thursday after her second round win. She also touched on the racial undertones of Ostapenko's comments to Townsend. Ostapenko previously took to Instagram on Wednesday to deny her remarks being racially driven.
"I mean, it’s really difficult to say. I think obviously it’s one of the worst things that you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority White sport," Osaka said. "And granted, I know Taylor and I know how hard she’s worked and I know how smart she is, so she’s the furthest thing from uneducated or anything like that.
"But if you’re like genuinely asking me about the history of Ostapenko, I don’t think that’s the craziest thing she’s said. I’m going to be honest. I think it’s ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to. And I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America. But I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life. But, yeah, I mean, it was just terrible. Like, that’s just really bad.”
Naomi Osaka on the Taylor Townsend & Jelena Ostapenko situation at U.S. Open:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 28, 2025
“It’s one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority White sport.”
“I think it's ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to. And I don't know if… pic.twitter.com/EQ6c5sIYIX
Townsend didn't seem too bothered by Ostapenko's comments when she spoke to reporters post-win on Wednesday. She even joked a bit about the situation, saying it was a day the media lives for. Townsend admitted she thinks emotions drove Ostapenko's comments, and that there was no beef between them.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka Weigh in on Taylor Townsend-Jelena Ostapenko Altercation.