NEW YORK -- Jelena Ostapenko apologized on social media Saturday, three days after telling American Taylor Townsend that she had "no class" and "no education" following their second-round match at the US Open.

Townsend, who is Black, and Ostapenko, who is from Latvia, had an intense back-and-forth after Townsend won in straight sets Wednesday. After their match, Townsend said Ostapenko berated her for not apologizing for a net cord and then used insulting language and questioned Townsend's intellect and character.

Ostapenko's words sparked accusations of racism, with Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka among those who publicly defended Townsend . Osaka called what Townsend reported Ostapenko saying "one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport

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