Jelena Ostapenko was warmly welcomed by US Open fans as she made her way back to the court, not even a full day after her heated confrontation with America’s Taylor Townsend ignited accusations of racism.
The Latvian player, infamous for her temperamental outbursts, clashed with Townsend, criticizing her for having ‘no education and no class’ following her 7-5, 6-1 defeat at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.
In the wake of her inflammatory remarks against her black opponent, Ostapenko has been actively denying racism allegations on social media, emphasizing her respect for people of all nations and standing by her criticism.
Amid the ongoing controversy with Townsend, she returned to the competition on Thursday, participating in her first-round women’s doubles match with Czechia partner Barbora Krejčíková.
Despite her fiery words towards a hometown favorite, Ostapenko escaped any jeers as she and Krejčíková entered the court, with some spectators even applauding her when her name was announced before the match.
The pair were taking on No 11 seeds Timea Babos (Hungary) and Luisa Stefani (Brazil) for a place in the second round.
Jelena Ostapenko is back out at the US Open for the first time since sparking a racism storm
Ostapenko appeared upbeat during the game, seemingly unaffected by the racism allegations against her. She and Krejčíková clinched the first set 6-4 against Babos and Stefani.
Yet as more and more fans began to fill up Court 15 at Flushing Meadows, it quickly became clear which duo they were rooting for here, with every Babos and Stefani point met with a huge ovation.
And they soon used that support from the stands to shift momentum in their further, claiming the second set 6-2 to set up a decider, which they subsequently won 6-3 to hand Ostapenko her second loss in the space of 24 hours.
In the wake of her victory on Wednesday, Townsend revealed to ESPN: ‘She told me I have no class, no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US.
‘So, I’m looking forward to it: I beat her in Canada, outside the US, so let’s see what else she has to say… it’s competition, people get upset when they lose, some people say bad things.’
Shortly after, Ostapenko revealed she is being accused of racism after her dispute with Townsend. ‘Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn’t matter where you come from.’
The trigger for their astonishing bust-up seemed to be when Townsend failed to give the conventional apology when one of her shots clipped the top of the net before she won the point.
‘You have to say sorry,’ Ostapenko said after her defeat. ‘No I don’t have to say sorry,’ replied Townsend.
Ostapenko told Taylor Townsend she has ‘no education and no class’ after her single’s loss
The latter was also asked if she believed there was any racial undertones to Ostapenko’s comments.
‘That’s something that you’re going to have to ask her,’ she said. ‘I didn’t take it in that way, but also that has been a stigma in our community of being not educated and all of the things when it’s the furthest thing from the truth.’
Townsend continued: ‘I can’t speak on what her intentions were… saying I have no education and no class, I don’t really take that personally, because I know that it’s so far from the truth…. whether it had racial undertones or not, that’s something she can speak on.’
On Thursday, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka hinted that off-court personal issues were behind the rant that left Ostapenko forced to deny claims of racism, adding that she hopes her fellow Eastern European will ‘one day figure herself’ out.
‘I actually spoke to Jelena after the match,’ said the Belarusian. ‘During our conversation, I didn’t know what happened. I have to say that she’s nice, she just sometimes can lose control. She has some things in life to face and some struggles.
‘I was just trying to help her to face it more in a mature way, to settle down and be someone she could speak to and just let it go.
‘I think she sometimes can lose control over her emotions, which is pretty tough.
‘I really hope one day she will figure herself out and handle it much better.’
