Why the absence of a common act of tennis sportsmanship led to heated on

(CNN) — The post-match exchange between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko on Wednesday at the US Open was a terse encounter but probably left many wondering what the big deal was that caused all the tension.

As it happens, the clash stemmed from the breaking of an unspoken rule of tennis.

After Townsend’s straight-sets victory over Ostapenko, the two players could be heard exchanging heated words besides the court, with the Latvian saying the American had “no class” and “no education.”

According to Ostapenko, the origin of the argument came from a moment of controversy that is not part of tennis’ codified laws and instead an act of – or lack of, in this case – sportsmanship.

Ostapenko explained on social media later that her ire originated from a moment midway through their sec