A contentious doubles match at the US Open in 2026 became the stage for a public eruption of a decade-long personal feud between Taiwanese tennis stars Hsieh Su-wei and Chan Hao-ching.
The Women’s Doubles Round of 16 match saw the fourth-seeded pairing of Hsieh and her partner, Jelena Ostapenko, defeat Chan and her partner, Maya Joint, with a score of 6-4, 6-4. However, the on-court action was overshadowed by escalating tensions between Hsieh and Chan.
During the match, Ostapenko and Hsieh accused Chan’s coach of taunting them from the player's box. Ostapenko, reportedly unable to understand Mandarin, relied on Hsieh to translate the remarks, which included sarcastic applause directed at unforced errors. Ostapenko vocally expressed her displeasure, calling the behavior disrespectful and asserting that Chan’s team was resorting to taunts because they were outmatched.
Following the match's conclusion, Ostapenko celebrated match point by directing a scream towards Chan's coaching box. The animosity then manifested at the net during the post-match handshake. While Chan acknowledged Ostapenko, she pointedly snubbed Hsieh, walking past her compatriot without extending a hand or making eye contact.
The deep-seated animosity between the players is reportedly rooted in a long-standing dispute over resources, national team support, and internal sports politics within Taiwan. Both athletes compete internationally under the banner of "Chinese Taipei," a designation mandated by governing bodies. Hsieh, a former doubles world No. 1, has previously accused the Chinese Taipei Tennis Association of favoring the Chan sisters in the allocation of funding, sponsorships, and coaching credentials. This alleged favoritism reportedly came to a head during the 2016 Rio Olympics when Hsieh withdrew from the Games in protest after her coach was not supported, igniting a grudge that appeared to culminate at this US Open match.