Taylor Townsend secured one of many largest wins of her profession when beautiful fifth seed Mirra Andreeva in straight units on the US Open on Friday evening – although consideration stays centered on her heated trade with Jelena Ostapenko after her earlier match.
The 29-year-old American made headlines after Ostapenko confronted her on court docket following their second-round conflict, accusing Townsend of getting “no training” and “no class”.
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Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend had a heated trade following their post-match handshake within the second spherical of the US Open.
Fellow gamers leapt to her defence, together with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who labelled Ostapenko’s feedback as “one of many worst issues you possibly can say to a black tennis participant in a majority white sport”.
Ostapenko took to social media to strongly deny any suggestion her remarks had been racist, whereas Townsend additionally mentioned she didn’t interpret the remarks in that approach.
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Naomi Osaka says ‘no training’ feedback from Jelena Ostapenko in direction of Taylor Townsend is ‘one of many worst issues you might say to a black participant.’
Talking additional on the problem following her 7-5 6-2 win over Andreeva, Townsend advised reporters: “It hasn’t been laborious in any respect [to stay focussed on tennis].
“I mentioned to my crew, ‘I am made for the sort of stuff’.
“I actually really feel prefer it wasn’t laborious as a result of I stood in my reality. I did not must defend something that I mentioned.
“I’d by no means enable any drama or something on the skin to discourage me from what my aim is once I step into the traces on the court docket. That is how I used to be raised and I am actually embodying that thought course of.
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Aryna Sabalenka says she spoke to Jelena Ostapenko after her heated conflict with Taylor Townsend and desires to assist her along with her feelings.
“It is a completely different sort of problem. It is a completely different sort of publicity, my social media and the entire individuals with the ability to have entry and issues to say.
“I mentioned to my crew, ‘Dang, I did not know this many individuals had my telephone quantity’. So many textual content messages and stuff, and simply attempting to filter by way of these issues.
“However when it is time to do the job, it is time to do the job. And that is what I believe is a testomony to being skilled, with the ability to block out what’s on the skin. While you step within the traces, you deal with enterprise.”
Townsend did exactly that in opposition to Andreeva, matching her career-best run at a Grand Slam (2019 US Open) by reaching the fourth spherical along with her straight-sets win over 18-year-old prodigy Andreeva.
“God rattling this feels good,” Townsend mentioned in her on-court interview after her win on Arthur Ashe Stadium. “All I will say is welcome to the present.
“I really feel superb. I am actually simply proud that I stored the primary factor the primary factor.
“I wish to say thanks to everybody who supported me over these final 48 hours. It is greater than me.
“It is concerning the message, it is concerning the illustration, it is about being daring and with the ability to present up as your self, and
I did that tonight. You guys noticed the true Taylor Townsend.”
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