Boisterous U.S. Open once again serves drama with fiery Townsend, Ostapenko spat

If you thought the U.S. Open was just about the sport of tennis, you would be mistaken.

Sure, there's an international competition with winners and losers and massive cash prizes. But as athletes, spectators and commentators have noted, there's also a vibe. Anda lot more drama than in other tennis tournaments.

On Wednesday, that came courtesy of a heated argument between opponents Taylor Townsend of the U.S. and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, where a spar at the net about tennis etiquette quickly escalated into a post-match online uproar that included allegations of racism.

"She told me I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the U.S.,"  Townsend told ESPN after the match.

"It's competition, people get upset when they lose."

Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got in a heated interaction after their second round match at the US Open.<br><br>Townsend is on to the third round. <a href="https://t.co/cOIYzoyfmG">pic.twitter.com/cOIYzoyfmG</a>

The U.S. Open has been described as chaotic. Boisterous. The Happy Gilmore of tennis.

Music blares from the loudspeakers and airplanes roar overhead. It smells, apparently, of marijuana and grilled meat. Spectators toss back vodka-brimmed Honey Deuces until they get "feral." And in that charged atmosphere, typical tournament etiquette can take a hit. 

On Wednesday, Townsend and Ostapenko got into a face-to-face argument on the Court 11 sideline right after Townsend won their second-round match 7-5, 6-1.

After the two players met at the net for a post-match handshake, they stayed near each other instead of going their separate ways, as usually happens. The 25th-seeded Ostapenko wagged a finger at Townsend as they spoke. 

The partisan crowd