Taylor Townsend Has Been a Tennis Fan Since the Womb
Taylor Townsend is having a moment. But the 28-year-old tennis pro’s rise has, in reality, been the stuff of gruel — a slow simmer through criticism and setback, and a climb over mountainous terrain. Her first major victory came this July, when, alongside her partner, Kateřina Siniaková, she won the Wimbledon doubles title, toppling Erin Routliffe and Gaby Dabrowski in straight sets to lift the championship trophy. Townsend’s game is carved through baseline power and punishing putaways at the net, but it is also inhabited by the joy of who Townsend is as a person — a mentor, a mother, and someone whose on-court shimmy remains unmatched. In the week leading up to the 2024 U.S. Open, 12 years after she turned pro as a 16-year-old girl from the South Side of Chicago, Townsend glided into the WTA’s top 50 for the first time in her professional singles career. She is now ranked No. 48 in the world in singles and No. 8 in doubles.
Though Townsend was victorious in her first-round match over Italy’s Martina Trevisan, by the time she met Spain’s Paula Badosa in the second, the entirety of Louis Armstrong Stadium was drenched in sweat, the overhead sun direct and relentless at nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Townsend lost, but doubles (and then mixed doubles) awaits. A career in tennis is such that loss is just as fleeting as victory.
Ahead of the Open, Townsend spent a morning hitting balls in a city park in Astoria. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) spearheads an initiative to encourage kids to pick up a racquet, irrespective of experience or skill, and Townsend was on-site for the event, along with tennis matriarch Judy Murray. The children were not the only beneficiaries of Murray’s instruction. “I actually went up to her myself and I said, ‘Hey, I want you to teach me some of this stuff because I’m going to take this back home,’” Townsend told the Cut. “I started out playing in the public parks. For me to be able to return to a setting like that, to see these kids getting an opportunity, is special. Anytime that I can be a part of something like that, I’ll always say yes.”
What are your earliest memories of tennis?
My mom played until she was eight months pregnant with me. It’s funny, because I then played until I was a couple of days away from going to the hospital to have my son. The day before even, I was playing points with my sister, Symone. My earliest memories of tennis are of her. I was always around the game and I would get upset because I wanted to do what she was doing. It was very much, “If you can do it, I can do it better.” That was kind of my driving force.
And you grew up playing on public courts.
I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, so I was playing at the park. The tennis community, especially the Black tennis community, is very small. Everyone knows everybody. But that’s where we grew up, and due to the weather and the climate, there are very few places that you can play indoors once it gets cold, which is the majority of the year.
It was a very tight-knit group of people and it was awesome because you felt supported — you got to see the same faces, the same people watching you develop as a player. When I was starting out, it was great because I never really felt alone.
When you look back, is there anything that still surprises you about what you’ve been able to do?
No, because I don’t look back.
No?
I mean, I draw strength from speaking about my experiences, but I never look back and think, Oh my God. Maybe I will when I stop, but for now, I’ve really worked hard to be as present as I can. I take it one day at a time.
What’s your favorite part of your game?
My overhead.
Does your son know yet that you’re a famous tennis player?
I think he understands to the extent that he knows I play. He’s around it all the time, so everyone asks me, “Is he going to play?” I’m like, “I hope not.” But I’m not naïve; he’s exposed to it, so if he wants to pick up a racquet, I’ll support it.
You’re now a Wimbledon Grand Slam doubles champion. What was that victory like?
I can’t really describe it in words. To be able to accomplish the goal that you set is one of the best feelings in the world. I’ve gotten close a couple of times before — the finals of the French Open last year, the finals of the U.S. Open in 2022. It was hard to get over those losses, but now, being the person I am and where I am in life, it really does feel like Wimbledon was the perfect time to win. I was ready to accept all the things that came with it. I made sure that I celebrated myself, but then I got back to work. That’s just the nature of our sport, but it was one of the best moments of my life.
Did you ever play with Andy Murray?
No, but I play with his brother, Jamie. We’re mixed-doubles partners at Wimbledon until he retires. [Laughs.] Their mom, Judy, always comes to the matches and sits away from everybody. She wants to be in the background. They’re just amazing, that whole family.
What’s your number-one rule for on-court communication with your doubles partner?
I only play with people that I know I get along with, so that makes it easier. We’re able to have fun. Anyone who’s on the same side as me, I know we’ll have a good time.
What about on-court fashion?
It has to be cute. I’m not about to wear anything ugly, or that I don’t feel good in. I strongly believe in “look good, feel good, play good.”
For anyone new to tennis or new to attending a Slam, is there etiquette you want the crowd to know about?
I love the New York and Australia Slams because they’re rowdier and it’s fun. I enjoy people being able to express themselves. Don’t be rude or anything like that, but have a good time. They’re starting to allow more fan movement during the points and in-between points, and I’m glad that we’re headed in the direction of more freedom from the crowd in that way.
You recently joined the board of directors for Black Girls Tennis Club. How has that been?
They’re just so fantastic. I want to get back to people having a good time and being able to feel a sense of camaraderie, whether they’ve already picked up a racquet or have never played before. Tennis can be very intimidating, sometimes.
I hope that being a part of this organization and continuing to do my own thing can help grow this game from the grassroots all the way up.
What’s the one thing that young girls who want to play tennis should know?
Whatever background you come from, it doesn’t matter. Money only fixes certain problems. The beautiful thing about sport is that it doesn’t discriminate. The pressure and everything else that you’ll deal with is universal.
Here’s what else I’ll tell anybody: first, make sure that you have great people around you — people that support you, not just as a tennis player, but as a person. Make sure that you continue to pour into yourself as an individual, as a human being, because that will show up on the court. Obviously, you’re going to have to work hard and apply what you learn, but ultimately, if you’re a good person and you’re doing everything that you can to operate at your highest level, that’s going to translate onto the court and that’s going to translate into all other areas of your life.
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