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Taylor Townsend is a force on the tennis court. Currently ranked by the World Tennis Association as No.1 in the world in doubles, Townsend lets her on-court performances silence her critics.
In this year’s US Open, Townsend faced remarks made by an Jelena Ostapenko, who said she had “no education” and “no class ”, after Townsend beat her in a straight-set victory during Round 2 action in singles on Aug. 27.
“It is what it is,” Townsend said post-match. “I didn’t back down because you’re not going to insult me, especially after I carried myself a certain type of way with nothing but respect. If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well.”
Facing Criticism From a Young Age
The remarks made at this year’s US Open were the most recent comments Townsend has had to face within her own sport, but they weren’t the first.
When she was just 16-years-old, Townsend was told by the US Tennis Association (USTA) that she was to be put on an eight-week block of fitness training. The call meant she would be unable to compete in the 2012 US Open, despite being the No.1-ranked junior tennis player in the world.
“I’m not thin, and I’ve never been thin — that’s just the truth about it, straight up,” Townsend wrote in the Player’s Tribune in 2021 about the incident. “Like, for real, I used to be out there on the court with my lil rolls hanging out in my tight tank tops. Why?? Because why not?? I liked the way I looked. I liked the way I felt, and I wasn’t ashamed.”
The comments on her weight came just before Townsend was diagnosed with anemia. The USTA still refused to fund Townsend’s travel to the Open, despite her body type resulting from a health condition. As a result, she funded the money on her own and won the doubles competition. Later that year, she became the first American since 1982 to win the International Tennis Federation’s Junior World Champion for finishing No.1 in the world.
Women in sports are constantly being judged by their body image, and Townsend experienced this early in her career. While this is something that sports needs to address, Townsend refused to give in to the abuse and change her body.
Instead, she embraced who she was and dominated her opponents. Townsend proved that there is no ideal “look” for a professional athlete. Women in sports have all kinds of different body types that help them perform at the highest levels.
“I’m a warrior. I’ve got superpowers. I'm loved. I’m supported. I'm resilient. I am all the things.”
Continued Achievements
In 2021, Townsend achieved another feat—becoming a mother when she gave birth to her son. She then took a hiatus from tennis, but returned with a new outlook and vision for her career. In July of this year, Townsend became the first mother to hold the WTA World No.1 ranking in doubles. The milestone is a testament to her years of dedication to the sport, but also shows how women in sports don’t have to change for anyone in order to have success.
“Today, I know exactly who I am: I'm a champion,” Townsend told Women’s Health earlier this year. “I’m a warrior. I’ve got superpowers. I'm loved. I’m supported. I'm resilient. I am all the things.”
Rising Above the Noise
Throughout her career, Townsend has tuned out the critics and focused on herself. Her response to Ostapenko’s comments was no different.
"I didn't allow the situation to take me out of my character or to lose my integrity as a person, and that's what really matters,” Townsend said on Aug. 28 via CBS.
And the tennis world rallied behind Townsend’s graceful response. Many women athletes came to the support of Townsend, including Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.
“I didn't allow the situation to take me out of my character or to lose my integrity as a person, and that's what really matters.”
Meanwhile, Townsend continued to let her on court performances show the world who she is. Townsend, ranked No.139 in the world in singles, reached the US Open Round of 16 before losing to Barbora Krejčíková.
Townsend then returned to the court alongside her partner and world No. 2 in doubles, Katerina Siniaková, to make it all the way to the finals in doubles. In front of a home crowd for Townsend, she and Siniaková came up short to world No. 7 in doubles, Erin Routliffe, and No. 8, Gabriella Dabrowski, in straight sets.
After the final Townsend said via The Guardian “The biggest thing that has changed for me, too, is just being able to truly show up as myself publicly and for people to be able to receive that as it is. It’s very liberating and freeing.”
While Townsend’s U.S. Open performance this year didn’t end with a title, she still produced a win for women’s sports—she showed how women athletes show up as their authentic selves and succeed. As for her critics, the world No. 1 in doubles lets her on-court accomplishments speak for herself.
