US Open Doubles Drama: Ostapenko and Hsieh Accuse Opponent of Deliberate Sabotage

The third‑round women's doubles match at the 2026 US Open turned into something that looked more like a courtroom drama than a tennis contest. Latvian fire‑brand Jelena Ostapenko and Taiwan’s crafty net‑rusher Hsieh Su‑wei edged past the pairing of Hao‑Ching Chan and her partner 6‑4, 6‑4, but the victory was quickly clouded by accusations that went far beyond the scoreboard.

According to Ostapenko, the trouble started long before the first serve. She says Chan’s coach was “clapping, shouting and pointing” at every mistake her side made, turning what should have been a routine change‑over into a noisy, distraction‑filled spectacle. “It felt like they were doing it on purpose,” Ostapenko told the Daily Mail after the match, her voice tense but still measured. “When you hear your opponent’s team yelling, it pumps you up in a bad way. I told myself I could die on court, but I would not lose this match.”

Hsieh, for her part, recounted two separate incidents that she believes were nothing short of deliberate sabotage. In a hallway, she says Chan brushed past her and “deliberately hit me with a tennis bag.” Hsieh chose to ignore it at the time, focusing on the upcoming match. Later, after a long night in the players’ lounge, she claims Chan walked past her chair and gave it a firm shove, waking Hsieh abruptly and ruining her pre‑match nap.

“I tried to be tolerant because I didn’t want to make a scene,” Hsieh wrote on social media. “But when it keeps happening, you have to speak up.” She added that her partner, Ostapenko, witnessed the bag incident, confirming that it wasn’t a mis‑perception.

The tension spilled over onto the court. After sealing the win, Hsieh extended a hand for the customary handshake – a gesture that Chan declined not once, but three times throughout the tournament, according to Chan’s own posts. Chan later explained she simply “didn’t wait” because she felt Hsieh had already shown a lack of respect for tennis etiquette.

In response, Chan fired back at the allegations, denying any sabotage from her side. She accused Hsieh of “bringing people to heckle us at the China Open,” pointing out that security had to escort several disruptive fans out of the arena. “If you’re going to blame my team, make sure it was actually someone from my camp who said it,” Chan wrote, suggesting that the accusations were based on hearsay.

Both camps have now dug in their heels, and the debate has spilled onto Twitter, Instagram and tennis forums worldwide. Fans are split – some think the drama is a natural part of high‑stakes competition, while others worry that off‑court antics are tarnishing the sport’s image.

Regardless of where you stand, the fallout is clear: Ostapenko and Hsieh will face Elise Mertens and Diana Shnaider in the quarter‑finals, and they’ll have to keep their focus amid the lingering controversy. Whether the tension fuels their game or distracts them, the next match promises to be another chapter in what has already become one of the US Open’s most talked‑about stories.