U.S. Open serves up more drama — plus accusations of racism and debate over tennis etiquette

If you thought the U.S. Open was just about the sport of tennis, you would be mistaken.

Sure, there's an international competition with winners and losers and massive cash prizes. But as athletes, spectators and commentators have noted, there's also a vibe. And a lot more drama than in other tennis tournaments.

On Wednesday, that came courtesy of a heated argument between opponents Taylor Townsend of the U.S. and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, where a spar at the net about tennis etiquette quickly escalated into a post-match online uproar that included allegations of racism.

"She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the U.S.," Townsend told ESPN after the match.

"It's competition, people get upset when they lose."

The U.S. Open has been described as chaotic. Boisterous. The Happy Gilmore of tennis.

Music blares from the loudspeakers and airplanes roar overhead. It smells, apparently, of marijuana and grilled meat. Spectators toss back vodka-brimmed Honey Deuces until they get "feral." And in that charged atmosphere, typical tournament etiquette can take a hit.

On Wednesday, Townsend and Ostapenko got into a face-to-face argument on the Court 11 sideline right after Townsend won their second-round match 7-5, 6-1.

After the two players met at the net for a post-match handshake, they stayed near each other instead of going their separate ways, as usually happens. The 25th-seeded Ostapenko wagged a finger at Townsend as they spoke.

The partisan crowd started roaring and booing. After the players had finally stopped talking, Townsend egged the crowd on, waving her arm overhead as the noise from spectators grew louder.

Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, took to social media Wednesday to address the confrontation, explaining in her Instagram stories that she told Townsend she was "very disrespectful" for not apologizing over a net ball, referencing her net cord winning shot.

"There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was the 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," Ostapenko posted in her online story which has since expired.

Since these shots are considered lucky, it is general tennis etiquette to "acknowledge that with a wave of the hand or racquet," Tom Tebbutt, a tennis journalist based in Toronto and member of the Tennis Canada Hall of Fame, told CBC News.

"But it's not the end of the world if you don't do it. Maybe you were distracted or even possibly you didn't see your opponent when they did actually do it," he said.

"Bottom line is Ostapenko would not have been so exercised about it if she had won."

As some online have pointed out, "not being rude after a match is right up there as an unwritten rule, too."

Tebbutt noted that the overall atmosphere at the U.S. Open is "heightened and hyper."

"So it's simply crazier at the U.S. Open — plus it's near the end of a long season and the players' nerves are frayed," he said.

The spat devolved into allegations of racism, with Ostapenko being accused of using racist tropes to attack her opponent — which she denies. This stems from her allegedly calling Townsend uneducated, which some have said harkens to a documented — and disproven — stereotype of Black intellectual inferiority.

A reporter asked Townsend, who is Black, whether she thought there were racial undertones to those comments. She said she didn't take it that way but acknowledged that the stereotype exists.

"That has been a stigma in our community of being 'not educated' and all of the things, when it's the furthest thing from the truth," Townsend responded.

Researchers have noted that racial stereotypes like these have "historically functioned to support oppressive societal systems in the U.S."

In another social media post, Ostapenko wrote that she'd received "many messages" accusing her of racism.

"I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn't matter where you come from," she posted.

Townsend, for her part, wrote on Instagram Wednesday that she "brought the fire, some people can't take the heat."

There is significant history between the two on the court. That includes a 6-2, 6-1 win by Townsend in Canada in August 2024, as well as a doubles victory over Ostapenko and her partner, Lyudmyla Kichenok, earlier that summer.

Earlier in the tournament, Daniil Medvedev was fined $42,500 US for his meltdown during a first-round loss Sunday after a photographer wandered onto the court during the match.

The match between firebrand Medvedev and French rival Benjamin Bonzi descended into mayhem. Bonzi had just hit his first serve, leading 5-4 in the third set. After he missed it, a photographer left his position and began walking along the side of the court.

Chair umpire Greg Allensworth told the photographer to get off the court, then announced that Bonzi would get another first serve because of the delay — common in tennis. But then, Medvedev launched a tirade at the official before orchestrating a chorus of boos raining down from the stands and, finally, smashing his racket.

"Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking?" he shouted as he stormed toward the chair.

On Wednesday, tournament referee Jake Garner docked Medvedev $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for racket abuse.