In a notable upset at the 2025 US Open, Taylor Townsend defeated Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in a tense second-round match, becoming the lowest-ranked American woman since 2019 to achieve such a victory at the tournament[4].
The match saw heated drama at the net, with Ostapenko lashing out at Townsend in the handshake, accusing her of having “no class and no education.” Townsend addressed the incident calmly in her post-match statements, emphasizing competition and mutual respect: “I didn’t back down because you’re not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself a certain type of way with nothing but respect. If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well. That’s just the fact of the matter”[1].
At her press conference, Townsend downplayed the incident, stating, “It’s competition. People get upset when they lose … I chalk it up to being upset and, you know, she pulled out all the stops to try and break the momentum … but again, like you guys saw, I didn’t back down because you’re not going to insult me”[1]. She further commented that she found the situation “comical” and that she felt her own actions required no explanation: “I think it’s kind of funny because to then go online and have to justify what you said, you obviously feel some type of way … I don’t feel like I have to explain how I acted. I think it was very self-explanatory”[2].
ESPN highlighted the heated post-match exchange and noted Townsend’s resilience, pointing out she came back to win nine straight games after being down in the first set, attributing her turnaround to focus and composure[3].