“Kept Fighting, Kept Playing” : Taylor Townsend Announces Cheerful News for Tennis Fans

Taylor Townsend announced her pregnancy in a strong video message uploaded on her social media handles. Talking about the ups and downs in her career Townsend announced that she is due in March 2021, and she is looking forward to motherhood.

In a relatively young professional career, Townsend has endured a lot of hardships. One of the premier players in her junior career, Townsend won the Junior Australian Open singles and doubles title in 2012. But she was denied a place in the main draw of the 2012 US Open by the USTA, who cited that she wasn’t in good shape even though she was the number one ranked junior at that time.

“I proved myself wrong by winning the juniors Australian Open in singles and doubles. I kept fighting, kept playing. In 2012, at sixteen years old, I was the Number one junior in the world and when I should have been heading to the US Open, I was told by the USTA to stay home because I was not in shape to play. I kept fighting, kept playing.”

Taylor Townsend on her recent triumphs

But Townsend looked ahead and marched forward. In 2015, she debuted inside the top 100 of the WTA rankings. And in the 2019 US Open, Townsend stunned former World No.1 Simona Halep. Further, in US Open 2020, she reached the semifinals in doubles.

“In 2015, I made it to the third round of the French Open and cracked inside the top 100. I kept fighting, kept playing. In 2019, I shocked the tennis world by defeating the Number three player in the world and making it to the round of 16. My entire life, my entire career I have heard ‘you can’t, you won’t’ and I have used it as a reason to fight hard and as motivation to keep playing.

“I am sure this won’t be any different so I have to prove them wrong again because now I have the best reason ever to play.” 

Townsend will be taking a break from the sport. With several provisions made for pregnancy breaks by the WTA, Townsend can use them to make a smooth comeback later next year or in 2022.

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