Taylor Townsend is making waves in 2025. The American started the season strong, winning the Australian Open doubles with Katerina Siniakova. That victory was her first major win in Melbourne and her second Grand Slam overall, following her Wimbledon triumph last season. But she didn’t stop there. Townsend kept the momentum going at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships, securing yet another title with Siniakova. What makes the wins even more significant is she building her resume while being a mother.

Townsend welcomed her son, Adyn Aubrey, in 2021. But Right from the beginning, the journey has been a roller coaster ride, to say the least. Townsend found out she was pregnant in 2020. The news was a shocker not only because of her commitment to her game and concerns about how having a child would change that but also because she never planned to be a parent. “One of the things that was shocking was I didn’t want kids because I have spent my whole entire life playing tennis. I’ve been playing tennis since I was four,” she had said in an interview with Essence.

When Townsend discovered her pregnancy, she was actually in the middle of a tournament and, as she put it, she was “terrified”. So she hid her pregnancy for a long time, only revealing it after the US Open in 2020. But, after embracing and going through the journey, Townsend has come out stronger. “I wear this badge very proudly because it gives me strength to know that I’ve been able to endure and overcome, but also inspire other people to know that this is possible. And it’s happening across the board with sports, not just tennis, but basketball, soccer, and so many other sports. And it’s super, super exciting,” she said.

Despite everything, balancing the relentless demands of the tour with motherhood has been no easy task. The grind of professional tennis is tough enough, but the added challenge of spending weeks away from her son makes it even harder. Recently, she gave fans a glimpse into her exhausting schedule, writing, “Me trying to keep my s–t together after 7 weeks on the road, 5 countries, and 5 time zones.” It’s a struggle that resonates with working mothers everywhere—constantly adjusting, constantly pushing forward.

Now, after a whirlwind stretch on tour, Townsend is finally heading home. The journey? A grueling 26-hour trip. She updated fans on Instagram, writing, “Starting my 26-hour journey home 🙏🏾✨.” A long flight, sure, but the reward at the end of it makes every minute worth it. After weeks of competing at the highest level, nothing compares to reuniting with her son and cherishing those precious family moments.

And she’s not just returning home with great memories. Thanks to her victory in Dubai, Taylor Townsend got to achieve a career milestone. She climbed to World No. 2 in doubles—the highest ranking of her career. For an athlete who has worked tirelessly to cement her place among the best, this is a testament to her perseverance and talent. And she’s taking all this in stride. And on the way, she has some valuable realizations to take home.

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Why Taylor Townsend Believes Being Away Makes Her a Better Mom

Mom Guilt? Nah! Taylor Townsend’s success isn’t just about titles. She’s also learning and evolving as a person, using her time away from Adyn to grow and, in turn, be a better mother. Life on tour is a whirlwind of constant travel, shifting schedules, and unexpected challenges. Rather than resist it, the 28-year-old has embraced it, finding ways to turn the difficulties into opportunities for self-improvement.

In an interview with Essence after the Australian Open, she shared, “I’m really enjoying the time I try to use these opportunities to grow as a person so I come back and I’m able to instill certain lessons in him or certain realizations that I’ve maybe come to while I’ve been gone to help me to be a better mom to him. I’m enjoying it. It is never easy being away from my son, especially for so long. I miss him. I try to talk to him every day, but these time changes are crazy.”

Balancing motherhood and professional tennis isn’t easy, but the American tennis player is proving it’s possible. She is carving a path few have successfully navigated, showing that dedication to both career and family can coexist. It’s a challenge many face, but she’s finding a way to make it work. As Townsend put it, staying away from her fon for a prolonged time has an incentive- she ensures that the time that she gets to spend with her son is quality time.

“When I’m on the road, and I don’t travel with AJ, I really try and just use this time to ask myself questions and get one with myself. I try to use these opportunities to grow as a person so I come back and I’m able to instill certain lessons in him or certain realizations that I’ve maybe come to while I’ve been gone to help me to be a better mom to him. I’m enjoying it,” she explained. More power to Townsend so that she continues her winning streak and builds on this incredible run while also balancing motherhood duties.