Peers speak out on tennis ratbag’s ‘terrible’ act as ugly US Open exit sealed with final snub

In the last game of a notorious visit to the US Open on Thursday, Jelena Ostapenko glared at her support crew and bellowed at them with belligerence at least twice during a doubles loss alongside dual grand slam champion Barbora Krejcikova.

She is yet to apologise to Taylor Townsend for appalling behaviour that raised questions about racism, nor did she take up an opportunity to present her story afterwards when refusing requests for interviews, with the USTA citing medical reasons as her excuse.

But she does leave New York with the reputation of a ratbag.

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The furore that unfolded when Ostapenko confronted Townsend at the net and hectored her about having “no class” and “no education” prompted widespread condemnation that spread into a second day with both women involved in opening round doubles matches.

Dual champion Naomi Osaka noted the controversy had been on “TV, like, every 15 minutes” when describing what Ostapenko had said to Townsend as “one of the worst things you can say to a black tennis player in a predominantly white sport”.

“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,” she said.

“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.

“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.”

Townsend, who will play No.5 seed Mirra Andreeva on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night following a straight sets win alongside Katerina Siniakova in the women’s doubles on Thursday, said she had received a large amount of support since the furore.

She also labelled Ostapenko, who has clashed with players including Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, hypocritical for challenging her behaviour on the court, with the Latvian taking umbrage at the American’s failure to apologise for a let cord and for starting her warm-up at the net.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people about it because, very honestly, people come up to me. I haven’t enticed any sort of conversation,” she said.

“Anyone and everyone that I’ve spoken to, you know, who saw anything, they obviously said that it was disrespectful. Even the mannerisms of her hand pointing at my face like I’m a child and just the things that she was saying. Everyone said that it was bad behaviour.

“It was also very hypocritical. I mean, she’s not known to have sportsmanship and (she doesn’t) have the best code of conduct. So to try and call me out on something that you don’t even do yourself is crazy. I spoke to several players about it, but like I said, I’m not that kind of person … to keep drama going.

“I think you guys know where I stand. I’m very clear as to where I stand and how I feel about the situation, not the things I’ve said. I’ve been very clear about it.”

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka did speak to the 2017 Roland Garros champion as she was leaving Flushing Meadows on Wednesday and, while conceding Ostapenko sometimes loses control, did say that “she’s nice”.

“She just sometimes can lose control. She has some things in life to face and some struggles,” Sabalenka said.

“I was just trying to help her to. Maybe, I don’t know, just – not, like, face it more in mature way but I was just trying to help her to settle down and (be) someone she could speak to and just let it go.

“I think she just sometimes can just lose control over her emotions, which (is) pretty tough. I really hope that one day she will figure herself (out) and she will handle it much better.”

While Ostapenko has not spoken publicly about the incident, she released a statement on Instagram on Wednesday night decrying suggestions she was racist. The post has since been deleted.

“I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn’t matter where you come from,” she wrote.

Townsend, who drew a capacity crowd to her doubles match, said the reaction she had received afterwards vindicated her decision to respond firmly to Ostapenko in the heated aftermath to the match.

“It’s cool to know that people see you and people are watching, and more than anything, that … it was external validation, that the things that I said and what I hoped that I was conveying and portraying came out the way that it did,” she said.

“I was hoping that it was received in a certain type of way and it was. It was just external validation that I handled things the right way. That’s what I’m the most proud of and the most happy with. I wasn’t looking for that … but it’s nice to know that I made people proud.”