Taylor Townsend feels US Open love after heated Jelena Ostapenko moment

The support that Taylor Townsend has received since a heated scene played out Wednesday between her and Jelena Ostapenko following their second-round match in the U.S. Open was visible on Thursday, as she and doubles partner Katerina Siniakova played — and won — in front of a packed Grandstand.

The heated exchange, which Townsend said included comments by Ostapenko saying that Townsend had “no class” and “no education,” have been one of the biggest topics in the first week of the U.S. Open.

In response, a large crowd filled the Grandstand for Townsend’s doubles match Thursday.

“It was, it was really cool. It was nice to be able to go in Grandstand and it was basically full,” she said. “How often are you able to see that for a first-round doubles match? Whatever it is, whatever type of attention that it brought, it’s doing the right things, which is bringing people to see the sport and bringing people in to support. And that’s what it’s all about.

3 Taylor Townsend returns a shot during her doubles match win with her partner, with Katerina Siniakova against Aldila Sutjiadi, of Indonesia, and Nadiia Kichenok in the second round of the U.S. Open on Aug. 28, 2025. AP

“I don’t think I’ve ever had that many people watch the first-round doubles for me ever in my life. That’s exciting and I think that it’s going to continue the further that we progress through the tournament.”

Townsend said Thursday that she’s gotten a lot of support from fans and her fellow competitors at the tournament.

Ben Shelton expressed support for Townsend when he spoke with the press after his win late Wednesday night and Naomi Osaka condemned Ostapenko’s comments as “the worst things you can say to a black tennis player in a majority white sport.”

3 Jelena Ostapenko (right) argues with Taylor Townsend following her loss in the second round of the U.S. Open on Aug. 27, 2025. Getty Images

Townsend said she has not heard from Ostapenko, nor has she received an apology from her.

Ostapenko lost in the doubles tournament Thursday, but did not speak with the press after the match.

Townsend said that she’s had conversations with other players at the Open, who she said had come up to her to talk.

“Anyone and everyone that I’ve spoken to who saw anything, they obviously said it’s disrespectful. Even the mannerisms of her hand pointing at my face like I’m a child, just the things that she was saying, everyone said that it was bad behavior,” Townsend said. “It was also very hypocritical, I mean she’s not known to have sportsmanship and the best code of conduct, so to try to call me out on something that you don’t even do yourself is crazy.”

3 Katerina Siniakova (left) and Taylor Townsend congratulate each other after winning a point during their second round doubles match win at the U.S. Open. AP

Townsend isn’t looking to continue the drama, she explained, but is looking it as a positive that so many eyeballs are now on the sport, and on her.

The 29-year-old will surely see a large number of fans the next time that she takes the court with Siniakova in doubles, and she’ll be playing under the lights Friday when she faces Mirra Andreeva in the third round of the singles draw.

With the greater attention on Townsend now following the incident, she joked that she hopes everyone sees that “I stand on business,” before explaining her larger hope of what people take away from the incident is the way she stood up for herself against Ostapenko.

“I think more than anything you guys can take away, people can take away. It’s OK to be unapologetically yourself,” she said. “It’s OK to stand up for yourself. It’s OK … to stand up and call people out for the bulls–t, I’m sorry to say. … In these types of moments, it’s important for me to speak up, not only for myself, but for my culture. I carry that and I take it very seriously. Not only by the words that I speak and the things that I say, but how I carry myself and my actions as well. No matter what, no matter what attention comes or whatever, I think it’s about being unapologetically yourself. Be happy in who you are and never allow anyone to take you outta your character and who you are as a person.”

She added: “I am more than anything just standing on business … and I hope you guys see that too.”

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