Jelena Ostapenko has apologised for telling Taylor Townsend she had “no education” during their fiery US Open clash earlier this week.
Townsend, who beat the Latvian 7-5 6-1 in the second round, said Ostapenko told her she had “no class” and “no education” after refusing to apologise for a net cord. Although apologising for a net cord is seen as polite, it is not a rule in tennis.
Townsend did not believe the remarks were racially motivated, but former world number one Naomi Osaka said suggesting that a black player was uneducated was “one of the worst things you could say”.
Ostapenko later took to Instagram to issue a public apology. Without naming Townsend, she wrote:
“Hi all – I wanted to apologise for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match. English is not my first language, so when I said education I was only talking about tennis etiquette. I now understand my words could have offended people beyond tennis. I will keep learning and growing as a person and as a player.”
Townsend welcomed the apology but said she had not received one directly.
“That’s nice she did that,” the American said after a doubles win. “At the end of the day, it’s a learning lesson for her. She expected me to act a certain way, I didn’t, and it upset her. That led to hurtful comments, not just to me, but also to the sport and the culture I represent.”
The 29-year-old, ranked world number one in doubles, had responded on court by telling Ostapenko to “take the loss” before celebrating with the crowd, who booed the 2017 French Open champion off Court 11.
Ostapenko, 28, has since denied any racist intent, writing: “I was never racist in my life. I respect all nations of people.” Her US Open ended on Thursday with defeat in doubles alongside Barbora Krejcikova, who now faces Townsend in the singles fourth round.