Jelena Ostapenko has seemingly thrown shade at Taylor Townsend. The WTA rivals produced a rather controversial moment at the US Open, which led to fierce backlash against Ostapenko. However, not long after, Townsend became embroiled in a controversy of her own, as she was vociferously criticized for her take on Chinese cuisine.At the US Open, Townsend defeated Ostapenko in women's singles second-round action in straight sets. In the immediate aftermath of the result, as the players came to shake hands at the net, an argument ensued. It featured the Latvian accusing the American of 'lacking class and education' because the latter hadn't apologized for winning a point aided by the net cord during the contest.Subsequently, Jelena Ostapenko faced the ire of not just fans but other players as well. The Latvian's behavior towards the American was perceived by many as an act of racism. Ostapenko eventually apologized.Later, Taylor Townsend landed in trouble after criticizing various Chinese delicacies that players were served at the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China. Even though Townsend issued an apology, the criticism continued.Recently, Ostapenko took to her Instagram and shared a post consisting of six pictures from her trip to the Great Wall of China in the buildup to her 2025 China Open campaign. In the comments, a digital content creator wrote:"Very educated in China ❤️"The Latvian 'hearted' the comment, and tennis fans on Reddit were quick to take notice of it.Ostapenko is hilarious byu/MDumpling intennisMost perceived it as the WTA No. 24 throwing shade at Townsend, and unsurprisingly, they delivered a myriad of reactions."Idc what anyone says she deserves the right to make fun of the situation after all the slander haha," one fan wrote."I think Townsend showing herself to be kind of a weirdo just a couple weeks after the situation with Penko kinda influenced things lol, it's not like it's out of nowhere," commented another."I can't wait until they match up again," another fan chimed in."Lmao she gives no f**ks hahahahaha She is who she is," stated one."Could never accuse her of taking the high road. smh," another added."Penko clocked Townsend perfectly," weighed in yet another fan.Taylor Townsend questioned 'sincerity' of Jelena Ostapenko's apologyTaylor Townsend during a press conference at the 2025 US Open (Source: Getty)Amid the backlash against her for the way she spoke to Taylor Townsend at the 2025 US Open, Jelena Ostapenko issued a written apology via her Instagram Stories."I wanted to apologize for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match. English is not my native language, so when I said education, I was speaking only about what I believe as tennis etiquette, but I understand how the words I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court," Jelena Ostapenko wrote.However, Townsend wasn't convinced with the level of 'sincerity' in the Latvian's apology. Speaking to CBS Mornings, the American said:"There were things that transpired after the fact that i was just like 'okay, this may not be the most sincere but as a human, I understand, you give grace where grace is due', but then like I said, I don't tolerate disrespect and especially when I treat you with respect and with sportsmanship and I am honoring the game, don't disrespect me."Jelena Ostapenko, the No. 22 seed in the women's singles main draw at the 2025 China Open, has received a first-round bye and will face either Priscilla Hon or Viktorija Golubic in the second round. Meanwhile, Taylor Townsend's most recent outing came in doubles at the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, where Team USA finished as runner-up to Italy.