Naomi Osaka suggested that Jelena Ostapenko has a track record of making divisive comments when questioned about her explosive confrontation with Taylor Townsend at the US Open.
Osaka dominated Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday to secure her spot in the third round of the US Open, marking her first appearance at that stage since 2021. During her post-match media session, Osaka was questioned about the Ostapenko-Townsend drama from Wednesday.
Ostapenko erupted after her second-round defeat to Townsend, declaring she had “no class” and “no education” while accusing her of showing disrespect throughout their match. Following intense criticism, Ostapenko pushed back against racism accusations on social media, with Osaka suggesting she’s made even more inflammatory remarks on court previously.
Townsend dismissed Ostapenko as “comical” when sharing her side of the story, though she rejected any suggestions that her rival’s comments were racially motivated. Ostapenko tried to clarify her position on social media, alleging that Townsend failed to apologize after gaining a point from a fortunate net cord.
Ostapenko further claimed that Townsend violated proper tennis protocol during warm-ups, which contributed to her anger. Ostapenko had also been ahead 5-3 in the opening set before completely falling apart and surrendering nine consecutive games to Townsend.
Multiple tennis stars have been questioned about the controversy at the US Open, with Frances Tiafoe opting to stay out of the discussion. Aryna Sabalenka revealed she had spoken with Ostapenko and suggested she might be dealing with personal challenges.
Now, Osaka has offered her perspective. Osaka was questioned about whether Ostapenko’s comments were deeply offensive given Townsend’s background and America’s troubled racial history.
“Yeah, I saw that part obviously. It’s been on the TV, like, every 15 minutes,” Osaka said. “I mean, it’s really difficult to say. I think obviously it’s one of the worst things you can say to a black tennis player in a majority white sport.
“And granted, 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. But if you’re like genuinely asking me about the history of Ostapenko, I don’t think that’s the craziest thing she’s said. I’m going to be honest.
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“I think it’s ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to. And I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America. But I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life. But, yeah, I mean, it was just terrible. Like, that’s just really bad.”
Osaka also rejected Ostapenko’s justification regarding Townsend’s failure to apologize for a fortunate net cord. When asked how she would respond in such a situation, Osaka replied: “Honestly, I probably don’t care either way.
“And I definitely wouldn’t care to the point where it would affect me that much that I get very angry. I think it’s up to the person whether they apologize or not, but if it’s really close, then I can see why they don’t apologize.”
AloJapan.com