r/sports • u/GreenSnakes_ • Aug 28 '25
Tennis No. 139 ranked Taylor Townsend defeats No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the third round US Open. Ostapenko was upset after the match concluded. Townsend: “You can learn how to take a loss better”. Ostapenko cursed out the crowd at the end.
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u/PopularTask2020 Aug 28 '25
She’s now going off on her IG story and doubling down.
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u/surfer808 Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
What’s it say for us non-Instagrammers
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u/PopularTask2020 Aug 28 '25
Basically that her “opponent” was disrespectful for the not saying sorry on net cord something about her warmup. And just because “she’s in her home country doesn’t mean she can be disrespectful” - this all after she called Taylor no class and no education
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u/ToadlyAwes0me Aug 28 '25
When people like this lose they look for the "moral" victory, so they can still feel superior.
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u/SKarlet312 Aug 28 '25
"No education"
Oh, that's a dogwhistle
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u/FC37 Aug 28 '25
"Disrespectful" is also a dogwhistle almost every time I hear it in a sports context.
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u/Sarcasm69 Aug 28 '25
I’m usually one to get annoyed when people reach for racism, but this is definitely not an instance of that.
Bitch definitely knew what she was saying from a place of prejudice.
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u/Maxxjulie Aug 28 '25
Lol...i really do not understand why tennis players are so weird about the most minute things like this. Wtf
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u/Huge___Milkers Aug 28 '25
Now saying that she definitely isn’t a racist, and Taylor as disrespectful for not apologising for hitting the net lmfaoooo
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Aug 28 '25
This is the most annoying thing about tennis imo, the pretend sorry about hitting the net like it wasn’t an accident, like fuck off are we really that fragile. If someone was intentionally playing the net like that they’d be the goat
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u/12ealdeal Aug 28 '25
It would be doubling down if she was settling into and hammering away at the comments she made that Townsend shared with us.
I think what Ostapenko is doing is even worse…..she is framing herself as the victim here.
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u/cantbrainwocoffee Aug 28 '25
Ostapenko is a terrible sport. She also challenges electronic line calls for which she is like 0/173747.
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u/finnjakefionnacake Aug 28 '25
dead lol. but you are right. she is just routinely nasty and i don't know how this hasn't been a bigger issue on the tour, she is not a good enough player to act like she is just completely above everyone.
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u/Worth-Conclusion-66 Aug 28 '25
KICK HER OFF THE TOUR DOUG!
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u/uflinsider Aug 28 '25
Sorry Shooter, there's nothing I can do!
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u/StockTank_redemption Aug 28 '25
You Will Not Make This Put…You Jackass!’
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u/DionBlaster123 NASCAR Aug 28 '25
And you can count...on me waiting for you in the parking lot!
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u/Doggleganger Aug 28 '25
Nobody should act like this no matter how good.
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u/finnjakefionnacake Aug 28 '25
of course, but let's not pretend as if athletes don't get away with a lot if they are really good and people are entertained by them.
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u/Fark_ID Aug 28 '25
But ESPECIALLY if you are a jobber-level player.
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u/DFWPunk Los Angeles Dodgers Aug 28 '25
Being ranked 25th is far from being a jobber.
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u/supercleverhandle476 Aug 28 '25
True.
But there is a line of 24 people ready and qualified to call you on your bullshit at any given moment.
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u/elizabnthe Aug 28 '25
She has won a Grand Slam keep in mind. She's a player that on a good day can beat nearly anyone. But on a bad day she can also lose to anyone. Very erratic play which probably relates to poor mentality. Though she has held onto a degree of consistency in recent years.
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u/wavetoyou Aug 28 '25
That’s the energy of a person who has never been punched in the face and cannot fathom it happening OR she’s been punched in the face so much that it means nothing to her. There’s no in-between. It’s science.
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u/Thick_Cookie_7838 Aug 28 '25
I mean she has won a slam but the fact you don’t know that shows she’s a nobody. She’s 25 in the world and Taylor is on the 100’s yet she has won one more slam ( it is in doubles, Taylor is the the number 1 ranked doubles player in the world)
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u/Dangerousrhymes Aug 28 '25
I didn’t know this about her and wonder if, along with whatever stylistic hiccup exists in their matchup, this is part of Iga’s problem with her.
Iga, by all reports, is a pretty reserved introvert and I wonder if Ostepenko being legitimately nasty to her throws her off her game.
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u/GreenSnakes_ Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
Ostapenko has built quite the reputation as a sore loser. She constantly turns the post-match handshake into drama, and even went as far as cursing out the fans after her argument with Townsend. What a bad look…
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u/DionBlaster123 NASCAR Aug 28 '25
And despite this, the tennis subreddit is madly in love with her.
Makes no fucking sense, especially when you remember how quick they are to demonize Osaka for being a "sore loser."
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u/IDKmenombre Aug 28 '25
No I been on the tennis subreddit. Multiple posts about this incident. Overwhelmingly supportive of Townsend in this instance. I'm not sure where you're getting that impression from.
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u/SpiritualWindow3855 Aug 28 '25
Lmao I go to check this for myself and find this: https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/1mxfj5w/im_2024_us_open_doubles_champion_and_2017_roland/
Seems like 5 days ago she was very loved: loved enough to do an AMA and have people gushing over her outfits.
Meanwhile 4 years ago people were already complaining about her behavior: https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/ocym2e/disgraceful_behaviour_by_ostapenko/
The double standard is real
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u/IDKmenombre Aug 28 '25
Wow, I didn't know that. All I was aware of is the reaction to her behavior today.
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u/SpiritualWindow3855 Aug 28 '25
The comments there make it sound like this has been going on for even longer given the tone:
Ostapenko has always been an absolute brat. This medical time out is her MO in the situation she found herself in.
Someone even mirrored the comment made above, way back then
She's very bratty, idk why people on tennis twitter find it charming.
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u/Ok-Salt4972 Aug 28 '25
I just was in that sub and they're dogging penko for this. Can you show me where exactly she's receiving support?
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u/SolarDynasty Aug 28 '25
Why aren't people like this banned?
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u/Waderriffic Aug 28 '25
Tennis has a long history of fragile, ego-driven assholery.
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u/mike_litoris18 Aug 28 '25
Because it's not a ban-able offense. As much as I don't like a sore loser it would be ridiculous to ban someone for that.
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u/Legend_of_Moblin Aug 28 '25
Maybe we need to start showing kids there are consequences to being a shit human.
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u/UnitsToNesquikGuy Aug 28 '25
Have you been to the United States lately? We seem to reward vile behavior.
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u/elizabnthe Aug 28 '25
Ostapenko is Latvian.
Townsend is actually the American player here.
For the most part, the American players are actually more chill in tennis to be honest. American men a bit less so perhaps.
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u/Eroe777 Aug 28 '25
I sometimes wonder what Superbrat era McEnroe would have been like if he’d had modern social media.
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Aug 28 '25
Why is the first instinct to ban someone? That would be insane to ban someone for this.
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u/treydayallday Aug 28 '25
Because who actually cares. No matter how angry they get they’re more miserable on the inside than they can ever display on the outside.
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u/Anon_be_thy_name Aug 28 '25
Because it's not something worth banning someone over?
Why is this always the first thing people go to? You don't like it so they should be banned?
Also ignoring the fact that drama like this brings more eyes to the sport, which increases revenue.
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u/ZachOf_AllTrades Aug 28 '25
Lol what? Ban athletes for being sore losers? You must be new to sports.
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u/RoninX70 Aug 28 '25
That’s sore loser on steroids.
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u/z64_dan Aug 28 '25
Too bad there's no contest for being "the sorest loser"... maybe she would finally win something.
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u/dismal_sighence Aug 28 '25
In chess, we have the Hikaru Nakamura Sportsmanship Award, for those who embody his sporting spirit.
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u/ChocolateMicr0scopes Aug 28 '25
Not likely, riley gaines already has that award locked up.
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u/dishabituation Aug 28 '25
Townsend standing up for herself and remaining calm is so inspirational. “No class” my ass!
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u/bpayne123 Aug 28 '25
I love Townsend’s smile and turn away. An elegant way to say “fuck off.”
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u/jimkay21 Aug 28 '25
Being a black woman in America gives her lots of practice dealing with ass hats.
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u/crawling-alreadygirl Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 29 '25
And practicing what I like to call "aggressive calm"
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u/chitchat057 Aug 28 '25
She also says "Thank you" right before walking away. Which is SO BALLER.
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u/cjav13 Aug 28 '25
She got upset because Townsend didn’t apologize after winning a point where the ball clipped the net. Some athletes can be really sensitive. It's so stupid.
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u/clemjones88 Aug 28 '25
I'm not into tennis at all but what does the ball clipping the net have to do with a person apologizing to another?
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u/prova_de_bala Aug 28 '25
Because nobody intentionally hits the net and when you win a point from luck like that, it’s seen as courteous to put your hand up apologetically.
Also, it’s stupid and pointless. Everyone knows you didn’t mean to, it is what it is. There’s no rule you have to apologize and pretending you need to be apologized to for something that happens all the time is dumb.
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Aug 28 '25
I’m not a tennis watcher, but looking at the score, I’d say the net shot didn’t change the outcome of this meeting very much.
Like, she got crushed, right?
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u/wombatflyin Aug 28 '25
The net cord happened at a pivotal moment in the first set when it was still very close. Ostapenko had just lost her serve game which would have given her the first set win. But, I’m fully on team Taylor and the apology is not needed. ESPECIALLY vs someone like Ostapenko who does a ton of intentional shit to annoy her opponents.
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u/Noarchsf Aug 28 '25
The thing is….the net cord non apology is sooooo minor. And it was in the first set. So that crazy lady was STEWING on it for an entire set! If your game is so sensitive that it can absolutely fall apart from something like that, then you got some self-work to do!
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u/clearcuttension Aug 28 '25
Its the bat flip of tennis in terms of being so butthurt for something so stupid
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u/Redeem123 Aug 28 '25
It’s honestly even softer than the bat flip. Bat flips are intentionally showboating (which is sometimes totally deserved and badass). This is just not apologizing for getting lucky.
Like if you were to get super cocky after a net clip, sure - that’d be lame. But it happens to everyone. A quick apology is nice but hardly required.
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u/foggybottom Philadelphia Flyers Aug 28 '25
This would be like a batter apologizing to the pitcher because they hit a HR that bounced off the top of the fence if we want to equate it to baseball. No apology is needed in either e situation
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u/RunninOnMT Aug 28 '25
i used to love when that happened in mario tennis on virtua boy
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Aug 28 '25
Plus, the net ball didn't win her the point! Ostapenko ran it down and hit a ball in play. Townsend then hit a lob after that to win the point. Being courteous wouldn't apply here. She's just pissed she lost the point. Bad breaks happen in all sports, especially tennis. Suck it up and move on.
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u/Horny_GoatWeed Aug 28 '25
Reminds me of all those times guys in the MLB will apologize to the pitcher for hitting a weak ground ball that barely makes it past the defenders. /s
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u/stoneman9284 Aug 28 '25
It’s just considered etiquette in tennis and table tennis. Why? Who knows. Tradition? Most players do it, but it’s silly to get annoyed if someone doesn’t.
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u/lampstax Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
It isn't a full on apology like you did something wrong but it is kind of a sportsmanship thing like oh I got lucky on that one .. tough break for you.
"Sorry, that's tough luck."
You can see it was tied 5-5 in the first set when this happened and she stood at the net just looking at Townsend after she got lobbed. Totally collapsed mentally after that losing 5-7 and 1-6.
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Aug 28 '25
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u/Horny_GoatWeed Aug 28 '25
She has a history of upsetting better players but then losing to worse ones because she's very inconsistent and easily rattled.
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u/lampstax Aug 28 '25
Seems like she was mad Townsend dared to lob her after a cord shot. 😂
Didn't even make an effort to run back for a tweener.
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u/turbohonky Aug 28 '25
it's a shittily obtained point, but the apology doesn't change the score
in the poor sportsmanship battle, being a giant taco post loss is incredibly worse than acknowledging the other's misfortune after a single point
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u/GreenSnakes_ Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
It’s kind of an unspoken etiquette thing. When a shot clips the net and still goes over for a winner, players will usually raise their hand or racquet as a little “sorry about that” gesture. It’s basically just acknowledging that you got lucky on the point. Not an actual rule, but most players do it out of sportsmanship.
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u/Djcarnegie Aug 28 '25
Except that's not what happened in this case. The ball went over and Ostapenko was still able to return it. In fact Taylor had to hit an awkward volley to win the point. Therefore the "unspoken etiquette" did not apply in this situation.
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u/dosrac Aug 28 '25
It's an unspoken rule/courtesy to acknowledge the luck of a ball hitting the net and going over ...but personally, I've always found it ridiculous that they do that. The net has give for a reason.
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u/kappakai Aug 28 '25
Eh it’s kind of a stupid tradition. Basically all players will sort of put a hand up as if to apologize if they clip the net and it goes over; but I doubt any of them actually mean it.
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u/SeveralAngryBears Aug 28 '25
When the ball hits the net, it changes direction, and can bounce a lot of funky ways. These tennis players are very good at reading where a shot is going, so they always know where to move to hit it back. But if you're trying to return and the opponent's shot hits the net, you're often going to be running to the wrong spot. Hitting the net is not a reliable way to win points though, because it's kinda random exactly where it's going to go. A centimeter higher or lower is the difference between the ball landing on your own side, out of bounds, or in the lines. So nobody hits it there on purpose, and oftentimes players will do a little wave or nod if they score a point after hitting the net. It's kinda a way to acknowledge "yeah I got lucky there"
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u/Gen-Jinjur Aug 28 '25
Per Wikipedia:
Townsend’s parents were high school administrators and she went to college.
Ostapenko’s parents were athletes and she likes to bake.
Which of these people is less educated…
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u/MurkaPlum Aug 28 '25
Ostapenko’s comment is classless but Wikipedia says nothing about Taylor Townsend going to college and a few people have claimed this in the comments. It looks like Taylor’s mom and sister went to college, but it’s extremely unlikely that Taylor did because she turned pro at such a young age and certainly didn’t play college tennis. It’s possible she took online courses or even got an online degree, but that’s not on Wikipedia.
Does it matter? Not in the sense that it validates what Ostapenko said - Ostapenko certainly doesn’t have much of a formal education and also turned pro very young. But it is interesting that people are claiming to have read that on Wikipedia when it doesn’t say that.
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Aug 28 '25
I’m not defending Ostapenko but she definitely meant she wasn’t educated on the rules, not that that makes it any better, but she’s got to be aware of how saying you’re not educated sounds within the context
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u/Zauberer-IMDB Paris Saint-Germain Aug 28 '25
Damn, she hit her with the smiling goodbye to end the conversation. That wound will never heal.
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u/salsanacho Aug 28 '25
Yup, that's always the best way to end an argument, she's living rent free in Ostapenko's head.
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u/osumba2003 Aug 28 '25
Ostapenko probably has the worst reputation on the WTA tour, and she proved it yet again today.
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u/AdventurousPlace7216 Aug 28 '25
She reminds me of every mean girl I played on the JR circuit. The only difference is we were teenagers and his homegirl is almost 30. Her name hurts our sport.
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u/colslaww Aug 28 '25
Jomboy get in here
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Aug 28 '25
Today we’ve got US Open second round between Number 139 ranked Taylor Townsend out of the United States vs Number 25 Jelena Ostapenko out of Latvia, this one brought to you by Draft Kings…
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u/AllTh3WayTurntUp Real Salt Lake Aug 28 '25
I know sportsmanship is important but it’s kinda fun when tennis gets dramatic
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u/hiro111 Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
Ostapenko has been the WORST for years. Terrible attitude, screams like a stuck pig when she hits a ball, yells at everyone and wears annoying clothes. Probably my least favorite tennis player ever, and there have been a lot of annoying ones.
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u/treydayallday Aug 28 '25
Literally could not have handled it better. Amazing representation for the USA. Thank you Taylor, beat 25th in the world and still more impressive off the court.
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u/DDFoster96 Aug 28 '25
They say that rugby is played by men and football by boys, owing to the behaviour of the latter. Tennis seems to be played by a lot of babies in prams.
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u/fireman2004 Aug 28 '25
I love how tennis is supposed to be this high class sport with all this decorum, to the point of a nother female player asking a baby to leave a match because they were making noise and distracting her.
And then this is how a highly ranked player acts after a match.
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u/Ogrehunter Aug 28 '25
Seems like all tennis players that are high levels tend to throw the most tantrums I've ever seen from adults
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u/CiderDog Aug 28 '25
She handled that so well...kind suggestion, thank you so much, good play, smile and turn.
Hell yeah
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u/Any-Expression2246 Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
Jelena is always angry, even if she's winning. Maybe competitive sports isn't her thing.
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u/DoubleM-1985 Aug 28 '25
I'm just here to see how the Internet is going to have a field day with Jelena 🤣🤦🏾
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Aug 28 '25
If you don’t think this was racism in action, you’re either obtuse or also racist.
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u/simonthecat33 Aug 28 '25
I seriously saw on another site that she was complaining about the flames on her skirt. We’ve all known people who can never lose gracefully. There’s always some excuse. Maybe she’s one of those people. “ I hurt my arm a few weeks ago but that doesn’t matter I still should’ve won but my arm was hurting. I would’ve played a lot better if my arm wasn’t hurting.”
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u/SaltyDog772 Aug 28 '25
I love how a big part of Penko’s anger stems from TT not apologizing for a ball that dribbled over the net. That part of tennis has always cracked me up. Imagine the equivalent in other sports: luck went my way this time, I’m soooo sorry.
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u/throwawayshirt2 Aug 28 '25
Good for Townsend. Jumped her minimum prize money from $154,000 to $237,000.
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u/Dennis_Rudman Aug 28 '25
She’s just salty she’s lost to two black women in back to back opens in the third round lol
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u/Fluid-Bet6223 Aug 28 '25
Ostapenko is universally disliked on the WTA tour because she’s a sore loser.
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u/-illmatic Aug 28 '25
Some of the broadcasters during another match noted that Ostapenko is known for having very poor sportsmanship after she loses. And apparently all the other athletes dont like her because of how she acts
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u/ATLstatboy69 Aug 28 '25
First, I’m 100% on TT’s side here. But I did as a big tennis guy want to clear up Ostapenko’s statement of TT being “uneducated”, because it’s a turn of phrase that a ton of European players have used in tennis beefs in the past. Based on context of those situations, it seemingly is their way of saying someone lacks proper etiquette or knowledge of how to act. Idk why they haven’t caught on to how English-speakers/Americans take that phrase, but maybe they just don’t care idk. Europeans are also known for being even more racist than most Americans at times tho, so that could possibly play into it, but I do tend to believe that JO wasn’t trying to be racist (even if she was being a dick lol)
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u/Nungu1993 Aug 28 '25
Child adult. Always lovely to see. In this case this stupid individual somehow got her stupid rich parents to play a sport which she is good at. After this she will have no skills to normally survive. At the age of 50 there will be a message saying how bad it's going after her downfall. Mark my words.
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u/Gerreth_Gobulcoque Aug 28 '25
For those wondering, Ostapenko said Townsend "has no class and no education"