Japan’s Naomi Osaka reacts after her victory over USA’s Hailey Baptiste on the conclusion of their girls’s singles second spherical tennis match on day 5 of the US Open tennis match on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Heart in New York Metropolis, on August 28, 2025. — AFP
NEW YORK: Naomi Osaka mentioned utilizing phrases like “no education” and “no class” to criticise a Black tennis participant have been among the many worst issues to say, as debate raged over a heated row between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko on the US Open on Thursday.
Townsend, who’s Black, overcame 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko 7-5 6-1 in a tricky second-round battle a day earlier, however the actual pressure got here shortly after match level when the pair verbally clashed on the web, with the Latvian repeatedly wagging her finger on the American.
Townsend revealed a part of the trade throughout her on-court interview, after which she mentioned in a press convention that Ostapenko must reply if there have been “racial undertones” to the altercation.
Ostapenko mentioned on Instagram later that her anger stemmed from Townsend’s refusal to apologise after profitable some extent at a pivotal second when her ball clipped the online and stayed in play, accusing the American of being “disrespectful”.
The Latvian added in one other assertion that she had by no means been racist in her life, however Osaka weighed in, saying the phrases Ostapenko used throughout the altercation have been in dangerous style.
“It’s one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority White sport,” four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka mentioned.
“I know Taylor and I know how hard she’s worked and I know how smart she is, so she’s the furthest thing from uneducated or anything like that.”
Osaka, born to a Japanese mom and Haitian father, has been an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter motion each in america, the place she lives, and in Japan. She was lauded for supporting the marketing campaign throughout her run to the Flushing Meadows title in 2020.
The 27-year-old used her platform to spotlight racial injustice in america to a wider viewers by carrying totally different black face masks – every bearing the title of an African American killed in recent times – earlier than every of her seven matches.
“If you’re genuinely asking me about the history of Ostapenko, I don’t think that’s the craziest thing she’s said. I’m going to be honest,” Osaka continued with a smile.
“I think it was ill-timed and said to the worst possible person. And I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America.
“I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life. But yeah, it was just terrible. That’s really bad.”
Turning to the principle reason behind the controversy, Osaka mentioned she wouldn’t care if an opponent apologised or not for a web wire.
“I definitely wouldn’t care to the point where it would affect me so much that I got very angry,” Osaka mentioned.
“It’s up to the person whether they apologise or not, but if it’s really close, I can see why they don’t.”
