US Open: Naomi Osaka steps in to slam Jelena Ostapenko over heated row with black player
Japanese grand slam winner says the Latvian’s comments to Taylor Townsend were among ‘the worst things you can say to a black tennis player’
Naomi Osaka said using words such as “no education” and “no class” to criticise a black tennis player were among the worst things to say as the debate over a heated row between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko raged on at the US Open on Thursday.
Townsend, who is black, overcame 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in a tough second-round battle a day earlier. But the real tension came shortly after match point, when the pair verbally duelled at the net, with the Latvian repeatedly wagging her finger at the American.
Townsend revealed a part of the exchange during her on-court interview, after which she said during her press conference that Ostapenko would have to answer if there were “racial undertones” to the altercation.
Ostapenko said on Instagram later that her anger stemmed from Townsend’s refusal to apologise after winning a point at a pivotal moment when her ball clipped the net and stayed in play, as she accused the American of being “disrespectful”.
Apologising for winning a point with help from the net cord is a tradition that most players adhere to, but they are not obliged to do so.
The Latvian added in another statement that she had never been racist in her life, but Osaka said the words Ostapenko chose during the altercation were in bad taste.