American Taylor Townsend knocked out 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in the US Open’s second round, rallying from 3-5 down in the first set to win nine straight games and reach the tournament’s last 32 for the first time since 2023. Ranked No. 139 in singles but No. 1 in doubles, Townsend will next face the winner of Anastasia Potapova and fifth seed Mirra Andreeva. The result was overshadowed by a courtside confrontation immediately after match point. Townsend told reporters that Ostapenko said she had “no class, no education” and warned her to “see what happens when we get outside the U.S.” Cameras captured the pair pointing fingers during a terse handshake before Townsend walked away and encouraged the partisan crowd to cheer. Ostapenko later wrote on Instagram that her frustration stemmed from Townsend’s refusal to apologise for a net-cord winner and from the American beginning the pre-match warm-up at the net rather than the baseline. The Latvian, who won Roland Garros in 2017, denied that her comments had racial intent, saying, “I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world.” Townsend, who is Black, said she did not interpret the remarks as racist but called them disrespectful. “If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well,” she told the press, adding that she was proud to let her racket “do the talking.” The US Tennis Association had not indicated any disciplinary inquiry as of Thursday morning.