Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko is once again under scrutiny after her defeat to American player Taylor Townsend at the US Open 2025.
Jelena Ostapenko in trouble again
The drama unfolded on Court 11 in New York when Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, accused Townsend of poor sportsmanship.
The fallout has sparked fresh calls for disciplinary action against Ostapenko, who already has a history of fines for bad behaviour on court.
Townsend, the world’s number one doubles player, beat Ostapenko 7-5 6-1 in their second-round match on Wednesday, 27 August (early Thursday, 28 August in South African time).
The match turned sour when a “net cord” incident occurred.
A net cord happens when the ball clips the top of the net during a rally but still falls into the opponent’s side of the court. Traditionally, players often raise a hand to apologise, since the shot is considered lucky.
Townsend did not do this, and Ostapenko was furious.
At the end of the match, their handshake was tense. Ostapenko told Townsend she had “no class” and “no education.” Townsend shot back, telling Ostapenko to “take the L,” meaning “accept the loss.”
The crowd reaction and aftermath
The exchange did not stop at the net. Both players continued their argument near Ostapenko’s chair.
Townsend then fired up the New York crowd, waving her arms and celebrating loudly. Fans cheered for her, while boos rained down on Ostapenko as she left the court.
“She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play outside of the US. I said, ‘I’m excited, bring it on,’” Townsend later explained.
Ostapenko later posted on Instagram, insisting she was only upset about the net cord incident and claiming Townsend was “very disrespectful.” She also rejected any claims that her remarks had racial undertones, writing:
“I was never racist in my life. I respect all nations of people in the world.”
Could Ostapenko be punished?
This is not the first time Jelena Ostapenko has been in hot water.
At Wimbledon 2022, she was fined $10,000 (about R185,000) for throwing a water bottle and knocking over her chair after losing to Tatjana Maria, per BBC reports.
Tennis authorities take “unsportsmanlike conduct” seriously.
This is a broad rule that covers actions such as verbal abuse, aggressive behaviour, or disrespectful comments.
Given Ostapenko’s track record, the US Open organisers may fine her again or even issue a formal warning.
