NEW YORK (AP) – The post -matraque round trips between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko remained a subject of conversation at the US Open 24 hours later Thursday – but not for Ostapenko, who jumped from speech during a press conference, citing “medical reasons”.
Townsend, an American classified n ° 1 in doubles, and Ostapenko, a Latvian who won the 2017 France Open in Simple, was back in court in separate double matches on Thursday. Townsend and her partner Katerina Siniakova won theirs; Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova lost theirs.
On Wednesday, after the direct victory of Townsend over Ostapenko in simple, they had an extended argument after shaking their hands in the net – and Townsend, which is black, said that ostapenko called it “without instruction” while going up a finger.
“Everyone and everyone who I talked about who saw anything, they obviously said it was disrespectful,” said Townsend. “Even the manners of her hand pointing on my face as if I am a child, and just the things she said, everyone said it was bad behavior.”
Ostapenko later declared on social networks that she had been disturbed by two things that Townsend did: starting the heating in dressed instead of hitting shots from the basic line – which could be unusual, but it is something that the American often does and is in the rules – and not apologizing after winning a point with the help of the Ballon of the net.
Townsend found these “hypocritical” criticisms, she said on Thursday.
“I mean, she is not known to have a sporting spirit and have the best conduct code,” said Townsend, “so trying to call me on something you don’t even do yourself is crazy.”
When the subject of Townsend-Ostapenko was initially raised at the press conference of Naomi Osaka after her 6-3 victory, 6-1 against Hailey Baptiste in the second round Thursday, the quadruple champion of the Grand Chelem said: “I saw this part, obviously. It is on television, like, every 15 minutes.”
“Obviously, this is one of the worst things you can say to a black tennis player in a majority white sport,” said Osaka, whose father is from Haiti and the mother is Japan. “And granted, I know Taylor, and I know how hard she worked, and I know how intelligent she is, so she is the most distant thing without instruction or something like that.”
After winning his second round match Thursday evening, Coco Gauff described the episode as “a heat thing of the moment.” I think Jelena probably felt emotions after losing ”.
“I think it shouldn’t have been said, no matter what you feel. … Knowing Taylor personally, she is the opposite of this. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met,” said Gauff. “Whenever I had a difficult moment in the court, she sends me SMS, ensuring myself, checking how I am. So I really hate to see this.”
As for Ostapenko, in particular, which has already entered the boost with the opponents, Osaka said: “I do not think it was the craziest thing she said. I’m going to be honest. I think it’s a bad timing and the worst person you could have said. Like, it’s really really bad.
We asked Townsend on Wednesday if she thought there were racial nuances in Ostapenko’s comments.
“I did not take it this way, but also, you know, it was a stigmatization in our community to be” not educated “and all things, when it is the most distant thing from the truth,” replied Townsend.
“So whether racial shades or not, it is something she can speak on,” said Townsend. “The only thing that worries me at the moment is to continue to move forward in this tournament.”
With hindsight a day later, Townsend said she had received a lot of support.
“I felt like I had to manage the situation very graciously, and I am really proud of the way I managed it,” said Townsend on Thursday. “I did not allow the situation to get out of my character or lose my integrity as a person, and that’s what really matters.”
Ostapenko posted on Wednesday on social networks that she had received many messages “that I am a racist”.
“I have never been racist in my life and I respect all the nations of the people of the world. For me, no matter where you come from, ”she wrote.
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The sports writer of AP Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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