Surging at the US Open, Taylor Townsend is ready for her close-up (2024)

2023 US Open

NEW YORK -- These days it’s good to be Taylor Townsend but, by any measure, Wednesday bordered on great.

Out on Court 17 and its raucous crowd, the 27-year-old mother scored a second-round upset of No.19 Beatriz Haddad Maia, 7-6 (1), 7-5.

“Court 17 was lit,” the American told reporters afterward. “I literally came off the court, I was like, 'That was so fire. It was so fun'. I was feeding off the energy.”

A few hours later, paired with Leylah Fernandez on Court 10, Townsend collected yet another doubles victory.

"I think that sometimes when you're having success in one area more than the other, it's very easy for people to try and box you in, say, 'Oh, she's doing great in doubles', and that overshadows anything.

"But I'm out here working. I'm a tennis player, period. It's just that right now my doubles ranking is higher than my singles, but not for long."

Now, can she keep it going Friday when she meets red-hot No.9 Karolina Muchova in a match that will vault one of them into the second week of the US Open?

When someone is playing as well as Townsend, it usually looks effortless, but she alone knows the monumental, long-game effort that was required. After giving birth to a son, Adyn Aubrey, in March of 2021, it’s been two and one-half years of grinding -- in the gym and in the anonymity of places like Palm Harbor, Florida and Tyler, Texas and Macon, Georgia.

2 - In beating Beatriz Haddad Maia at US Open 2023, Taylor Townsend has registered her 2nd consecutive win against a top-20 opponent (also Pegula at Rome 2023), as many as she had beat in her 21 matches prior against such opponents. Boom. #USOpen #USOpen2023 | @usopen @WTA pic.twitter.com/Gwl8vu1SUa

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) August 30, 2023

“Man, this is what I train for,” Townsend explained. “I’m really happy the way it shows up. I’ve worked really hard to be in the place where I am today and be sitting in front of you guys. I never take a day for granted.

“These are the times, and a day like this I would be proud to share with my son and say, `Look, you put in the work and you reap the rewards'. Sometimes you don’t know when that’s going to happen, but just keep working and it will happen eventually.’ ”

This, Townsend understands better than most. As a 15-year-old, she won the 2012 Australian Open junior singles and doubles titles, becoming the first American to do that at a junior Grand Slam event since Lindsay Davenport 20 years earlier. But the career of the former junior No.1 unfolded very differently from Davenport’s, who went on to become a three-time major champion.

There were some well-documented squabbles with the United States Tennis Association over her fitness, and a constant struggle to make an impression at the highest levels of professional tennis. Townsend’s best singles ranking, No.61, was achieved more than five years ago and she has yet to win a Hologic WTA Tour-level singles title.

"Before, sometimes I always felt like I had to act a certain way or be a certain thing or kind of measure who I was. But now I'm just like, 'Hey, this is Taylor, take it, leave it, you like it, don't like it, whatever'."

But fast-forward to last week in Cincinnati when Townsend, playing with Alycia Parks, won her first WTA 1000 doubles title, arguably the most important of her career. She is now ranked No.5 in doubles and is in position to qualify with Fernandez for the WTA Finals.

Moreover, two singles victories here have her on the precipice of the Top 100 in the live rankings, up some 31 spots.

Muchova, however, will be a tough out. The 27-year-old from the Czech Republic was a finalist earlier this year at Roland Garros and, more recently, Cincinnati, where she fell to Coco Gauff. Muchova beat Storm Hunter and Magdalena Frech in straight sets to reach the third round.

These two have never played, but they share a bond.

“Everyone has their ups and downs,” Townsend said. “I remember talking to her at the French Open a few years ago when she hurt herself and she had to pull out. She’s on crutches, couldn’t walk basically. To see her take time off, come back, then see where she is, how she’s been able to ascend to almost the top of the game has been really amazing.

“These are the type of matches that really get me going because it’s a test and it’s a challenge because she doesn’t play like everybody else. Strategically and tactically we'll have to make some adjustments to make sure that I’m able to execute and play my best tennis.”

With the loss of No.8 Maria Sakkari in the first round, this is a big opportunity for Townsend with the winner getting an unseeded fourth-round opponent

Said Townsend, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Watch Townsend's energetic and insightful second-round press conference below:

Surging at the US Open, Taylor Townsend is ready for her close-up (2024)

FAQs

What happened to Taylor Townsend? ›

Taylor Townsend was the second player to withdraw from the French Open. She announced on her Instagram page that this was due to a chronic ankle sprain, which she picked up at the Morocco Open.

What is Taylor Townsend's ranking? ›

Taylor Townsend
Singles
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 57 (April 8, 2024)
Current rankingNo. 79 (June 24, 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
32 more rows

What brand does Taylor Townsend wear? ›

Taylor wears Nike gear and endorses TennisFlex. She also has sponsorship from Dunlop.

How much money does Taylor Townsend have? ›

PLAYER OVERVIEW
Career Matches Won:34
High rank for doubles:5
High rank date for doubles:12 June 2023
YTD prize money for doubles:$418,766 USD
Career prize money:$3,747,315 USD
6 more rows

Is Jessica Pegula at Roland Garros in 2024? ›

World number five Jessica Pegula announced her withdrawal from the French Open on Thursday, saying she had not yet sufficiently recovered from an injury. "Unfortunately pulling out of @rolandgarros this year," the American posted on Instagram.

Did Townsend have a baby? ›

However, all's well that ends well as in March 2021, Townsend welcomed her baby boy, Adyn Aubrey Allen through C-section. Following this she took an 18-month break to recover and enjoy motherhood. As eager Townsend was to enjoy motherhood, he was more than ready to be back as a mother on the tennis court.

Where did Taylor Townsend go to college in the OC? ›

In Season 4, Taylor secretly arrives back in Newport after attending the Sorbonne University and needs to seek legal advice as she is married to a Frenchman. Henri Michel de Maumaront, her husband, refuses to sign divorce papers, though. She begins hiding out at various locations to avoid running into her mother.

What is Taylor University ranked in the US news? ›

It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,193 (fall 2022), its setting is rural, and the campus size is 367 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Taylor University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Colleges Midwest, #3.

How many tournaments has Taylor Townsend won? ›

Since giving birth to her first child, Adyn, in March 2021, Townsend has won four ITF singles titles (two each in 2022 and 2023) in addition to her three WTA doubles crowns.

What is Taylor Swift's clothing line called? ›

Stella x Taylor Swift was a 2019 collaboration between Taylor Swift and Stella McCartney, a fashion designer, and daughter of Paul McCartney.

What designer did Taylor Swift wear? ›

Alberta Ferretti has designed all of Swift's "Folklore" dresses throughout the Eras Tour, including the flowing white piece she's seen wearing in her 2023 concert film.

Does Taylor Townsend have a child? ›

Pregnancy: Townsend announced her pregnancy in December 2022. Birth: She gave birth to a baby boy, Adyn Aubrey Allen, in March 2023. Return to tennis: Townsend returned to competition in July 2023.

Who does Taylor Townsend date? ›

Ryan and Taylor is the relationship between Ryan Atwood-Cohen and Taylor Townsend in the Fox drams series The O.C..

Who dropped out of the French Open? ›

1 ranking. PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic pulled out of the the French Open with an injured knee on Tuesday, an abrupt end to his title defense and to his current stay at No. 1 in the rankings. “I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros,” Djokovic posted on social media.

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