NEW YORK (AP) — The postmatch back-and-forth between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko remained a topic of conversation at the U.S. Open 24 hours later on Thursday — but not for Ostapenko, who skipped speaking at a news conference, citing “medical reasons.”

Both Townsend, an American who is ranked No. 1 in doubles, and Ostapenko, a Latvian who won the 2017 French Open in singles, were back on court in separate doubles matches on Thursday. On Wednesday, they had an extended argument after shaking hands following Townsend's victory over Ostapenko in singles — and Townsend, who is Black, said Ostapenko called her “uneducated.”

“Obviously, it’s one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport,” said Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion who

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