Taylor Townsend progresses at US Open but focus remains on allegations from heated confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko.
Taylor Townsend is in the spotlight at the US Open as a result of an interaction she wishes had never taken place.
Townsend said Jelena Ostapenko told her she had “no class” and “no education” during a face-to-face argument after their second-round match on Wednesday.
A huge crowd cheered her on in doubles on Thursday, and Townsend made the most of a spot in prime time at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night, upsetting fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2.
Going into this Grand Slam, Townsend had nowhere near the star power or the name recognition of fellow Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and she is not even seeded in singles play. Yet the 29-year-old, who is half of the top-ranked women’s doubles team in the world and was No 1 as a junior player, has become one of the biggest stories of the tournament through no fault of her own.
