Osaka Calls Out Ostapenko: “No Education” Comment Among Worst Things Said to Black Athletes

The U.S. Open produced fireworks on Wednesday, Aug. 27, when Taylor Townsend defeated Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in a second-round match that quickly turned tense.

After the handshake, Ostapenko confronted Townsend, accusing the Chicago native of having “no class” and “no education” after Townsend refused to apologize for winning a point off a net cord—a shot that clips the net before dropping in play. Townsend stood firm, reportedly replying: “No, I don’t have to say sorry.”

The exchange, captured on broadcast and widely shared online, sparked outrage across the tennis community. Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who has faced Ostapenko multiple times, didn’t hold back when asked about the controversy.

“I think obviously it’s one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority White sport,” Osaka told reporters. “I know Taylor, I know how hard she’s worked and how smart she is. She’s the furthest thing from uneducated.”

Osaka also suggested that this was not Ostapenko’s first brush with inappropriate remarks. “If you’re genuinely asking me about the history of Ostapenko, I don’t think that’s the craziest thing she’s said,” Osaka added.

“But it was ill timing, and the worst person you could have ever said it to. I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America.”

Townsend later addressed the confrontation, downplaying the tension but making clear she would not tolerate disrespect. “People get upset when they lose. Some people say bad things,” she told ESPN. “There’s no beef. But I didn’t back down because you’re not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself with nothing but respect.”

Ostapenko attempted damage control on Instagram, denying racism and claiming her comments had been misinterpreted. “I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world,” she wrote, insisting Townsend had shown “disrespect” by refusing to apologize.

Still, Osaka said she believes the backlash may mark a turning point. “I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life,” she said. “It was just terrible. That’s really bad.”