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Naomi Osaka is standing ten toes down for Taylor Townsend after a heated clash with Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open. Following their second-round match, Jelena allegedly made some personal attacks, telling Taylor she had no class and no education. The comments sparked major backlash from tennis fans, and now Naomi is weighing in, calling it one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player.
After her victory over Hailey Baptiste on Thursday, August 28, Naomi didnt shy away when asked about the confrontation between Taylor and Jelena on Wednesday, August 27. The incident, replayed on TV like, every 15 minutes, had Naomi heated. I think obviously its one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport, she said, calling out the racial weight of Jelena’s remarks. Naomi, whose father is Haitian, praised Taylors grind, saying:
“I know how hard shes worked and how smart she is, so thats the furthest thing from uneducated.
Also, she suggested Jelena has a pattern.I dont think thats the craziest thing shes said, if Im being honest. Naomi called the timing ill and Taylor the “worst person” to target.
“I dont know if she knows the history of it in America, but I know shes never gonna say that ever again. It was just terrible. Thats just really bad.”
The situation unfolded after Taylor was defeated during their second-round match on August 27. Things got real when a net cord went Taylors way, and Jelena, expecting an apology, didnt get one. Post-match, their handshake set the tone for what was about to happen next. Jelena allegedly told Taylor she had no class, no education and added, See what happens when we get outside the US. The argument spilled over to Jelenas chair, with her pointing fingers as the crowd booed.
Shortly after, Jelena took to Instagram, claiming Taylor was very disrespectful for not apologizing for the net cord and warming up at the net. She called it being against tennis rules. Additionally, Jelena denied racial intent, stating, I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world. Taylor, unfazed by the rant, told Jelena to learn how to take a loss better.”
In her press conference, via ESPN, Taylor kept it classy while addressing the shade thrown her way. She confirmed Jelenas words. When asked if the comments had racial undertones, she responded:
“I didnt take it in that way, but also, you know, that has been a stigma in our community of being not educated and all of the things, when its the furthest thing from the truth.
Taylor, proud to represent her culture, added that she was strong enough to take criticism. She also mentioned being very proud as a Black woman to represent her family, but most of all, her culture. She brushed off Jelena’s personal attack:
I dont really take that personally, because I know that its so far from the truth.
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