Jelena Ostapenko fiercely blasts Taylor Townsend after US Open 2025 match for breaking warm up rule and refusing apology

Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko has accused American player Taylor Townsend of being disrespectful during their US Open 2025 match in New York. The match took place this week at Flushing Meadows, and after it ended, Ostapenko took to Instagram to share her frustration. She said Townsend broke tennis rules during warm-up and also failed to show sportsmanship at a key moment in the match.Jelena Ostapenko explained that from the very start of the match, Taylor Townsend behaved in a way she had never seen before on the professional tour. According to her, players are always supposed to begin warm-up from the baseline. However, Townsend came out and started the warm-up at the net.“In the beginning of the match all players are supposed to start warm up on the baseline. The opponent came out and straight away started the warm up at the net which is very disrespectful and against the rules of a tennis match,” Ostapenko wrote in her Instagram story after the game.The 2017 French Open champion added that this was the first time she had faced such behavior in her career. “There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was first time ever that this happened to me on tour. If she plays in her homeland it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants,” she said.Jelena Ostapenko also revealed what happened in a critical moment of the match. During an important rally, Taylor Townsend’s shot clipped the net and fell on Ostapenko’s side, giving the American the point. Ostapenko expected a simple apology, which is considered good sportsmanship in tennis, but Townsend refused to say sorry.Also Read: Former Tennis Star Anna Kournikova Pregnant At 44 Expecting Fourth Child With Enrique Iglesias After Health Scare“Just a small update about the match. Today after the match I told my opponent that she was very disrespectful as she had a net ball in a very deciding moment and didn’t say sorry, but her answer was that she doesn’t have to say sorry at all,” Ostapenko shared.The Latvian star Jelena Ostapenko said this lack of respect upset her, but she promised her fans she will return stronger. “Thanks all my fans for your support. I will come back stronger. Situations like that motivate me to work even harder,” she wrote.