Coco Gauff supports Taylor Townsend following a heated exchange with Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open. Gauff emphasizes Townsend’s kindness and hopes the incident doesn’t define her.
American tennis star Coco Gauff has come out in support of her compatriot Taylor Townsend after her heated exchange with Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia at the US Open 2025. Townsend defeated Ostapenko in two straight sets in the second round, but the match was marred by controversy following a verbal altercation between the two during the post-handshake exchange at the net.
Ostapenko was visibly upset with Townsend, and the tension escalated between the two, which caught the attention of the spectators and the tennis world. Later, the American accused the Latvian tennis player of calling her ‘No Education, No Class’, but downplayed whether Jelena Ostapenko used racial undertones, stating it is for her to explain.
In response to Townsend’s accusation, Ostapenko criticized the American opponent for her refusal to apologize for the crucial net cord winner, which she saw as disrespectful. She further stated that Taylor Townsend violated the rules of the sport by straightaway warming up at the net instead of the baseline.
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The heated argument between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko became the talking point of the ongoing edition of the US Open, with videos of the fiery exchange between the two quickly going viral on social media, and the majority of the tennis fans showed their support towards the American for standing her ground against the Latvian.
‘It was a heat of the moment thing’
Following her second-round victory over Donna Vekic at the US Open, Coco Gauff was asked about her thoughts on the heated exchange between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko. She did not hesitate to defend her compatriot, saying Ostapenko’s remark was likely made during the heat of the moment. The 21-year-old emphasized the kindness of Townsend, noting how she checked on her during tough moments on the court.
“know what was said after the match. I think it was a heat of the moment thing. I think Jelena was probably feeling emotions after she lost. It shouldn’t have been said, regardless of how you’re feeling,” Gauff said at the press conference.
“Knowing Taylor personally, she’s the opposite of that. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Whenever I’ve had a tough moment on court, she’s texting me, checking in on how I am,” she added.
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Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend met thrice on the WTA tour, with the American leading 2-1 over the Latvian after the second round win at the US Open. Before the US Open, the last face-off between the two was in the round of 16 at the Canadian Open last year, where Townsend defeated Ostapenko in two straight sets.
Gauff hails Townsend as a great friend, talented tennis player
Coco Gauff expressed her disappointment that some may have known Taylor Townsend only after her heated exchange with Jelena Ostapenko, while hailing her as ‘a great friend’ and ‘talented tennis player’. She hoped that people would recognize her beyond one heated moment.
“I hate to see that maybe this is some of the first people hearing who Taylor Townsend is. I don’t want that to be the main focus of who she is. She’s a lot more than that,” The 21-year-old added.
“She’s a mom. She’s a great friend. A talented tennis player. And a good person. At the end of this tournament, I hope people will do a deep dive into her and get to know her more than what was said in the previous match,” she added.
Taylor Townsend and Coco Gauff will continue their quest for the maiden Grand Slam title and the second US Open triumph, respectively, when they face Mirra Andreeva of Russia and Magdalena Frech of Poland in the third round.