Naomi Osaka Calls Jelena Ostapenko’s Comments to Taylor Townsend ‘One of the Worst Things You Can Say to a Black Tennis Player’

An apology followed. Ostapenko said her intent was about sportsmanship, not identity, and that her wording missed the mark.

For some, that was enough; for others, impact overshadowed intent. The disagreement didn’t end, but the conversation matured: how do athletes repair harm that comes from language, not just actions?