Taylor Townsend's Stunning Upset Overcomes Jelena Ostapenko Controversy

With fiery, hand-painted flames curling up her sleeves, Taylor Townsend made a powerful statement on the court at the US Open on Friday. She upset world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, 7-5, 6-2, in the third round, matching her best-ever performance at a Grand Slam singles tournament.

The flames on her outfit, Townsend explained, symbolize phoenixes—a personal emblem of rebirth. After her victory, Townsend explained the personal significance of the phoenix design. Townsend explained the personal significance of her outfit, telling reporters, "The premise is having to burn or lose your old self to emerge as something new." She added that she feels this concept is a perfect reflection of "my career, me as a person, me as a woman, and me as a player.”

Known more for her doubles expertise—she is a reigning Australian Open women's doubles champion—Townsend leveraged her net play to dismantle Andreeva in just 76 minutes. Even though she was ranked 134 spots below Andreeva, Townsend felt she had "leveled up." She explained that all her hard work had "eliminated that 'but'" she so often heard when people talked about her talent. "I'm emerging as a new person. "I'm really just so proud of myself," she said, reflecting on her performance.

The victory came just days after a tense post-match exchange with Jelena Ostapenko, who was heard telling Townsend she had "no class" and "no education." The controversy stemmed from a point in which Ostapenko claimed Townsend failed to say "sorry" after a net cord helped her win a point. After the incident, fellow tennis star Naomi Osaka publicly condemned Ostapenko's comments, saying they were "one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority-white sport."

Townsend, however, said it was easy to block out the drama because she "stood in [her] truth." Following her win, the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium gave her a standing ovation. Thanking the crowd for their support, Townsend said her win was "bigger than me." "It's about the message; it's about the representation... You guys saw the real Taylor Townsend tonight," she said.

Up next, she'll face two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbora Krejčíková in the fourth round.