Aryna Sabalenka says she tried to offer support to Jelena Ostapenko following the Latvian’s second-round loss to Taylor Townsend at the U.S. Open, not realizing the match had ended with a heated exchange between the two players. The world No. 1 revealed that her post-match conversation with Ostapenko.

“Well, I have to say that she’s nice. She just sometimes can lose control,” Sabalenka said after her own win over Polina Kudermetova. “She has some things in life to face and some struggles, so I was just trying to help her … and someone she could speak to and let it go.” Sabalenka added that she hopes Ostapenko will eventually “figure out herself” and better manage her emotions on court.

The incident Sabalenka wasn’t aware of occurred moments after Townsend’s 7-5, 6-1 victory on Wednesday.

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