A fiery Jeļena Ostapenko screamed in the direction of an opponent’s player’s box after she and her doubles partner, Hsieh Su-wei, defeated Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in the Round of 16 at the U.S. Open.
Ostapenko, who took digs at Taylor Townsend during last year’s singles draw, screamed multiple times in the direction of Chan’s player’s box after securing the 6-4, 6-4 win in Flushing Meadows on Monday
Hsieh also screamed in the direction of Chan’s camp during the post-match celebration.
However, the spitefulness was far from over.
Ostapenko went over to shake Joint’s and Chan’s hands after the match, but the latter made no effort to shake Hsieh’s hand.
That exchange left Ostapenko stunned, and she looked around in shock as she walked off the court.
The match itself wasn’t without its drama-filled moments, either. Ostapenko called for a tournament supervisor at one point and appeared to suggest that Hsieh’s team was coaching her from the stands.
The crux of the bad blood appears to stem from a longstanding feud between Hsieh and Chan, who are both from Taiwan. Hsieh feels the Chinese Taipei Tennis Association has given preferential treatment to Chan and her younger sister Yung-Jan through funding and resources, according to reports.
The doubles draw has Ostapenko on a collision course with Townsend, should the American and her partner, Katerina Siniakova, make it through the quarterfinals.
Ostapenko and Hsieh would also need to make it out of the quarters for that to happen.
Last year’s tournament saw Ostapenko get into a heated exchange after Townsend dispatched her in the second round over what Ostapenko felt was the lack of an apology from Townsend after a shot clipped the top of the net but remained in play, also known as a net cord.
“[Ostapenko] told me I have no class, I have no education and to see what happens when we get outside the U.S,” Townsend told ESPN at the time.
Ostapenko did not make it out of the first round in this year’s singles draw and did not speak to the media after her match.
Joint and Chan defeated Venus and Serena Williams in the opening round.
