Looks like the dust still hasn’t settled from the US Open women’s singles second round clash between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko. While both players have already presented their version of the event, tensions still linger. The controversy continues to split opinion across the tennis world, with the latest to weigh in on the situation being John McEnroe. 

The former American tennis star crashed at the latest episode of Nothing Major Show, alongside John Isner, Sam Querrey, and Steve Johnson. During the entire segment, the topic of the Townsend-Ostapenko fight gained traction, which resulted in quite an interesting discussion. And apparently, the entire panel was in favor of Taylor, blaming Jelena instead. “Ostapenko is like out of control. No one likes her in the locker room, I don’t think. Townsend had handled it perfectly. Let her racket do the talking. She gave a great press conference at the end. At the end of the day, she won. She’s got the last laugh,” said former tennis star and 10 ATP singles winner Sam Querrey.

Agreeing with Sam was also John Isner, who called Ostapenko’s behaviour unacceptable. It was only a few seconds later that jumped in to express his frustration on the incident was John McEnroe. “I don’t believe that you should say you’re sorry when you hit a net cord in the first place. Who gives a damn about that? That’s total BS,” said the 66-year-old. The rest of the panel also nodded to the icon’s take, making it seem clear that the entire blame falls on Jelena Ostapenko only, as per them. 

It all began with a heated handshake after her match against Taylor Townsend, where Ostapenko appeared to wag her finger at the net, drawing boos from the Court 11 crowd. Townsend, unfazed, was even caught on mic saying, “No, I don’t have to…” It was apparently her refusal to apologize for the winner that came off the net during a crucial moment in the match. Of course, it’s not compulsory to do so, but the gesture is widely considered tradition. And while the on-court spat in itself was enough to get the tennis world talking, things escalated even further off the court.

Townsend later claimed her Latvian rival had called her “classless” and “uneducated.” In an effort to lighten the mood, she even joked that their fight could make good content for TikTok. But Ostapenko wasn’t finished with the American, claiming that just because she was playing on home soil, she thinks “she can behave and do whatever she wants.”

Amid the backlash, figures like Naomi Osaka condemned Ostapenko’s remarks, calling them “one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport.” Analysts like Prakash Amritraj criticized Ostapenko’s words as coming “from an ugly place,” praising Townsend for responding with composure, a “factual, totally classy” approach that set a positive example by rising above the disrespectful situation.

But Ostapenko also firmly denied that any of her comments carried racist undertones — an allegation many fans had thrown at her in the aftermath through her DMs. No wonder this fiery exchange quickly spread through the tennis world, with fans and pundits taking sides — and even prompting one of Ostapenko’s friends to come to her defense.

Taylor Townsend’s opponent also has sympathizers

Unlike John McEnroe, Aryna Sabalenka had a different point of view on the Jelena Ostapenko controversy after her hard-fought 7-6(4), 6-2 second-round win over Polina Kudermetova — a victory that stretched her tie-break streak to 17 straight and earned her the nickname “Aryna Tiebreakalenka”. Interestingly, the Belarusian star revealed that she had spoken with Jelena.

The world No. 1 explained that she wasn’t aware of the full situation at first but described Ostapenko as “nice,” acknowledging that everyone can lose control under pressure. “I was just trying to help her to, I don’t know maybe face it more in a mature way; help her to settle down, and someone she could speak to, and just let it go,” added the current world No. 1 in women’s singles.

Sabalenka also admitted she wouldn’t be surprised if off-court struggles were affecting Ostapenko’s behavior and focus on the court. She noted that personal issues can easily spill over into performance, making it difficult to stay composed in heated moments. Even so, she believes Ostapenko will eventually reflect on the incident and recognize it wasn’t her best moment — advice which was offered as both a competitor and a friend.

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