Aryna Sabalenka spoke to Jelena Ostapenko after her controversial feud with Taylor Townsend at the US Open. The World No. 1 explained that Ostapnko can sometimes “lose control,” but she’s a “nice” person.
Tensions erupted at the 2025 US Open when 139th-ranked American Taylor Townsend upset the No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko, 7-5, 6-1 in the second round. A fiery exchange followed their handshake.
Ostapenko criticized Townsend for not apologizing after a net-cord shot and warming up at the net, rather than the baseline. These were breaches of unwritten tennis etiquette, according to the Latvian.
Townsend revealed that Ostapenko told her she had “no class” or “no education” and warned about future encounters outside the USA. After her second-round win at the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka was asked about the controversy. The Belarusian revealed that she had spoken to Ostapenko.
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"I spoke to Jelena after the match. Well, I have to say that she's nice. She just sometimes can lose control. She has some things in life to face & some struggles. So, I was just trying to help her... Not like face it in an immature way.. Just trying to help her to settle down.. Just becoming someone she can speak," Aryna Sabalenka said.
"I think she just sometimes just lose control over her emotions which is pretty tough. I really hope that one day she can figure it out and she will handle it much better," she added.
Notably, Townsend addressed the controversy in her press conference as well. She declined to say whether Ostapenko’s comments carried racial undertones, noting that only the Latvian could clarify that.
The doubles No. 1 emphasized she did not take it that way, though she acknowledged the harmful stereotype about Black people and education.
Aryna Sabalenka hints that Jelena Ostapenko's off-court life may have affected her on-court behavior against Taylor Townsend at US Open
When asked if anything off court might have triggered Jelena Ostapenko’s behavior, Aryna Sabalenka suggested that personal struggles can often spill into a player's tennis.
"Sometimes when you struggle with some things in life and it of course reflect your tennis career. Sometimes on-court you're unstable, you lose control and you just dont understand what's going in the moment..." Aryna Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka added that, in hindsight, Ostapenko likely isn’t happy with how she acted:
"I'm pretty sure, looking back, she's not happy with her behaviour."
Meanwhile, Townsend hinted that Ostapenko’s frustration stemmed from the upset. She explained that in competition, it’s natural for players to be upset after a loss.
Taylor Townsend has reached the third round in a singles Grand Slam event only three times in 30 previous main draw appearances. At the 2025 US Open, she has achieved the feat for the fourth time. Standing in her way now is fifth seed Mirra Andreeva. Another upset could help the American achieve a rare Top 10 win.
