Racism Controversy in US Open 2025? American Tennis Player Told She Has ‘No Education, No Class’ by Jelena Ostapenko

American tennis player Taylor Townsend is in the spotlight at the US Open 2025 as a result of an interaction she wishes never took place. Townsend said Jelena Ostapenko told her she had “no class” and “no education” during a face-to-face argument after their second-round match Wednesday. 

A huge crowd cheered her on in doubles on Thursday, and Townsend made the most of a spot in prime time at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night, upsetting fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2.

Going into this Grand Slam, Townsend had nowhere near the star power or the name recognition of fellow Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and she is not even seeded in singles play. 

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A Comment With Racist Undertones

Yet the 29-year-old has become one of the biggest stories of the tournament through no fault of her own.

When asked if she thought the comments had racial undertones, Taylor Townsend said she didn't take it that way but acknowledged, “That has been a stigma in our community of being ‘not educated’ and all of the things, when it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”

“Sometimes I feel like in society, especially people of color, we are expected to be silenced, or sometimes there are times where we have to decide and be very strategic as to when we speak up, and in these type of moments, it’s important for me to speak up, not only for myself but for my culture. 

“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 out of your character and who you are as a person.”

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An Inspiring Comeback Story

Townsend is in the fourth round at the U.S. Open, more than a decade after the U.S. Tennis Association decided to hold her out of junior competition over concerns about her fitness. 

The organization in 2012 withheld funding her tournament appearances while she focused on getting in better shape.

In the intervening time, she has become dominant in doubles, winning Wimbledon last year and the Australian Open earlier this year with partner Katerina Siniakova, and the pair is the top seed in Flushing Meadows.

Townsend, who has not gotten past the fourth round in singles at a major, will face two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday.