Osaka condemns Ostapenko's "no education" remark toward Townsend at US Open
Naomi Osaka has spoken out against Jelena Ostapenko’s choice of words during a heated post-match exchange with Taylor Townsend at the U.S. Open, calling the remarks “one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player.”
Townsend, who is Black, defeated 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in a tense second-round battle. But the biggest drama came after match point when the pair exchanged words at the net, with Ostapenko wagging her finger at the American.
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Townsend later hinted at “racial undertones” in the exchange, while Ostapenko defended herself on Instagram, saying her anger stemmed from Townsend’s refusal to apologise after winning a crucial point when her shot clipped the net cord. Ostapenko called the American “disrespectful” but denied ever being racist.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and outspoken advocate for racial justice, strongly criticised Ostapenko’s phrasing. “It’s one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport,” Osaka said. “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.”
Born to a Japanese mother and Haitian father, Osaka has been a leading voice on social justice in tennis, famously using her 2020 U.S. Open title run to highlight racial injustice by wearing masks bearing the names of Black Americans killed in recent years. She added of Ostapenko: “I think it’s ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to … I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life. But yeah, it was just terrible.”
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Coco Gauff also weighed in, acknowledging Ostapenko’s remarks were wrong but suggesting they came in frustration after defeat. “It was a heat of the moment thing. Jelena was probably feeling emotions after she lost. I do think that shouldn’t have been said regardless of how you’re feeling … Knowing Taylor personally, she’s the opposite of that.”
Gauff praised Townsend’s character, urging fans to see beyond the controversy. “She’s a mother, a great friend, a talented tennis player and a good person. At the end of this tournament I hope people do a deep dive into her and get to know her more than what was said in the previous match.”
SportsLigue