Taylor Townsend isn't concerned about Jelena Ostapenko. After losing to Townsend at the US Open on Aug. 27, Ostapenko reportedly told Townsend she had "no class or education." Townsend's response: "Saying I have no education and no class, I don't really take that personally because I know it's so far from the truth. The thing that I'm the most proud of is that I let my racket talk."
This ethos of show-don't-tell is something Townsend learned at a young age. At just 16, Townsend was told that her body wasn't fit enough for professional tennis. Fast-forward 13 years, and she's amassed two Grand Slam doubles titles (2024 Wimbledon, 2025 Australian Open) and 10 WTA Tour doubles titles.
That experience back in 2012 — and every challenge she's overcome since — has helped give Townsend the thick skin and strong voice she has today. "I had grown up in an environment where everyone else was telling me how I should be, how I should play, who I should be, what I should do, and that's all that I heard," she says of her early career.
And while that felt limiting at the time, it also taught her how to listen to her own voice. "I had to break through that so that I could hear my own voice and be able to understand the person that I am, the kind of player that I am, the kind of game that I want to play, and how I showed up," she adds.
Keep reading to learn more about how that pivotal moment shaped her tennis career and made her the person and player she is today.
No comments:
Post a Comment