Aryna Sabalenka spoke to Jelena Ostapenko after US Open drama

When Aryna Sabalenka spoke with Jelena Ostapenko after her second-round loss to Taylor Townsend at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, she wasn’t aware of the heated post-match spat between the competitors.

Sabalenka, the world No. 1, came away from their conversation seemingly concerned that the Latvian star is dealing with something in her personal life that is affecting her ability to keep her poise.

“Well, I have to say that she’s nice. She just sometimes can lose control. She has some things in life to face and some struggles, so I was just trying to help her to … not like face it more in a mature way, but I was just trying to help her to settle down … and someone she could speak to and let it go,” Sabalenka said after defeating Polina Kudermetova in straight sets Wednesday night in the second round.

“I think she can just sometimes lose control over her emotions, which is pretty tough, and I really hope that one day she will figure out herself and she will handle it much better.”

4 Ostapenko and Townsend during their post-match spat. Getty Images

The post-match fireworks between Townsend and Ostapenko dominated Wednesday’s storylines from Queens after Ostapenko allegedly made crass comments.

The 29-year-old American defeated Ostapenko, 7-5, 6-1, and the two started jawing with one another after shaking hands, with Ostapenko demonstratively pointing her finger during the early part of the talk.

“It’s competition, people get upset when they lose and some people say bad things,” Townsend said on ESPN after the match. “She told me I have no class, I have no education and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S. So, I’m looking forward to it. I beat her in Canada, outside the U.S., I beat her in New York, outside the U.S., so let’s see what else she has to say.”

4 Aryna Sabalenka spoke with Ostapenko. @TheTennisLetter/X

Ostapenko, 28, offered her side of the back-and-forth on her Instagram Story, accusing her opponent of violating tennis rules.

“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, the world No. 26, wrote after losing to the 139th-ranked Townsend. “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.

“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 then which is very disrespectful and against the rules of a tennis match.”

4 Jelena Ostapenko leaving the court Wednesday. Getty Images

Townsend made it clear she didn’t feel she needed to say she’s sorry.

“If you expect for someone to apologize and they don’t and you get upset about it, that’s your fault, not mine,” Townsend said.

While it’s clear that the etiquette influenced Ostapenko’s reaction, Sabalenka came away from their conversation believing there are off-court factors at play.

4 Ostapenko allegedly told Townsend she has “no class” and “no education.” Getty Images

“Sometimes when you struggle with some things in life, it’s, of course, going to reflect in your tennis career,” Sabalenka said. “On the court, you’re more unstable and you can lose control and you just don’t understand what’s going on in the moment and then, for sure, I’m pretty sure looking back she’s not happy with her behavior.”

Townsend’s win placed her into the third round, where she will face fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva on Friday.

Sabalenka, the tournament’s top seed, will also face Leylah Fernandez that day.

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