Naomi Osaka weighed in on the controversy that swirled between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko following their second-round U.S. Open match earlier this week.
After losing to Townsend on Wednesday, Ostapenko stated in a heated post-match exchange that Townsend had “no class,” and “no education,” adding, “to see what happens” when the two face off outside U.S. soil. Ostapenko later stated on social media that her issues with Townsend were triggered by a perceived lack of sportsmanship and etiquette during the match.
“You’re not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself a certain type of way with nothing but respect. If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well,” Townsend said. “No matter what’s going on, it’s me versus you, but at the end of the day we have to respect each other and respect what happens out on at the court. It’s competition.”
“I think obviously it’s one of the worst things 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.”
Osaka went on to elaborate on Ostapenko’s history, suggesting that this might not be the first time the Latvian has crossed a line verbally.
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“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,” Osaka added. “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.”
“I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life,” she continued. “But, yeah, I mean, it was just terrible. Like, that’s just really bad.”
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