Taylor Townsend facts for kids
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Townsend at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships
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| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Smyrna, Georgia |
| Born | April 16, 1996 Chicago, Illinois |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Turned pro | December 2012 |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | John Williams |
| Prize money | US$5,384,509 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 288–174 (62.34%) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 46 (August 19, 2024) |
| Current ranking | No. 69 (November 11, 2024) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2020, 2023) |
| French Open | 3R (2014) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2018, 2019) |
| US Open | 4R (2019) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 236–92 (71.95%) |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (June 12, 2023) |
| Current ranking | No. 5 (November 11, 2024) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (2025) |
| French Open | F (2023) |
| Wimbledon | W (2024) |
| US Open | F (2022) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (2024) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2023) |
| French Open | 2R (2023) |
| Wimbledon | QF (2024) |
| US Open | F (2024) |
| Team competitions | |
| BJK Cup | RR (2022, 2023), 1R (2024) |
Taylor Townsend (born April 16, 1996) is an American professional tennis player. She has achieved high rankings in the sport. The WTA ranked her as high as No. 46 in singles and No. 5 in doubles.
Taylor won her first major tennis title at Wimbledon in 2024. She won the doubles event with her partner Kateřina Siniaková. She has also won six other doubles titles on the WTA Tour. Taylor reached the finals of two other major tournaments: the US Open in 2022 and the French Open in 2023.
As a junior player, Taylor was named the ITF's Junior World Champion in 2012. This was because she finished the year as the No. 1 ranked girl. She was the first American girl to do this since 1982. In 2012, she won both the singles and doubles titles at the Australian Open. She also won doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open that same year.
Taylor became a professional player at the end of 2012. In 2014, she started to make a name for herself on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour. She won two titles, which helped her enter the top 100 in singles in 2015. Taylor is known for using a special tactic called serve-and-volley in her games. After taking time off for maternity leave, she returned to tennis in 2022. She reached her first major final at the US Open that year. In 2023, she entered the top five in doubles rankings. She won two WTA 500 titles and reached her first WTA 1000 final. She also played in her second major final at the French Open.
About Taylor's Life
Taylor Townsend was born in Chicago. Her parents, Gary and Sheila, were both high school administrators. Her mother, Sheila, played tennis in college. Taylor also has an older sister, Symone, who played college tennis.
Taylor started playing tennis when she was six years old. She was one of the first young players in the XS Tennis program. This program was run by Kamau Murray, who later coached Sloane Stephens to a major title. When Taylor was eight, she moved to Atlanta to train with Donald Young's father. Taylor's mother and Donald Young Sr. grew up together and trained at the same tennis center in Chicago.
At 14, Taylor moved to Boca Raton, Florida, to join a special USTA tennis program. In 2012, the USTA decided not to pay for Taylor to play at the US Open. So, Kamau Murray and XS Tennis raised money to help her go. After that, Taylor trained with Murray in Chicago and Zina Garrison near Washington, D.C. Taylor looks up to Martina Navratilova and tries to play like her.
On October 14, 2020, Taylor announced she was going to have a baby. She gave birth to her son, Adyn Aubrey, on March 14, 2021.
Taylor's Junior Tennis Career
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In 2012, at age 15, Taylor won the Australian Open junior singles title. She was only the second American girl to win this title. She also won the doubles title at the same event. This made her the first American to win both singles and doubles at a junior Grand Slam since Lindsay Davenport in 1992. Soon after, she won the Easter Bowl. This helped her become the No. 1 junior player in the world by April.
That year, she continued her success in doubles. She won the Wimbledon girls' doubles title with Eugenie Bouchard. She also won the US Open title with Gabrielle Andrews. The only major title she didn't win that year was the French Open, where she reached the semifinals in doubles. Taylor finished 2012 as the No. 1 junior player in the world. She was named the 2012 ITF Junior World Champion. This was a big honor, as she was the first American girl to get it since 1982.
She kept playing on the junior tour in 2013. She reached another Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon. She lost to Belinda Bencic in that match.
Taylor's Professional Tennis Career
Starting Out: First WTA Doubles Final
Taylor played her first professional tournament in October 2010 when she was 14. She won her very first match. In 2011, at 15, she played in the doubles event at the US Open. She reached the third round with Jessica Pegula. She also played in the singles qualifying rounds and won her first match there. The next year, she wanted to play in the US Open again. But the USTA did not give her a special entry because they had concerns about her physical condition.
Taylor made her main WTA Tour singles debut at the Indian Wells Open in 2013. She won her first tour-level match there. Later that year, she played in the Washington Open. After losing in singles, she played in the doubles event with Eugenie Bouchard. They reached the final, which was the first career final for both players.
2014: First Grand Slam Wins
In the spring of 2014, Taylor won her first ITF titles. She won both the singles and doubles titles at two clay-court events in Charlottesville and Indian Harbour Beach. She partnered with Asia Muhammad for the doubles titles. Because of these wins, she earned a special entry into the French Open. She was ranked No. 205 when she made her major singles debut. She beat fellow American Vania King and then upset the top French player, Alizé Cornet. This helped her reach the third round, where she lost to Carla Suárez Navarro.
Taylor also got special entries to play in the main draws of Wimbledon and the US Open. She lost in the first round at both. At the US Open, she lost to Serena Williams, who went on to win the tournament.
2015-2017: Reaching the Top 100 Again
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Taylor entered the top 100 rankings at the start of 2015. This happened after she reached the second round at the Auckland Open. With her higher ranking, she could play directly in the Australian Open. She lost in the first round there. In February, she played for the first time in the Fed Cup for the USA. She won her only match with CoCo Vandeweghe. Taylor's ranking then dropped, and she struggled for the rest of the year.
In 2016, Taylor focused on playing in ITF events again. She started training with her childhood coach, Donald Young Sr., and her game improved. In April, she won both the singles and doubles titles at the Clay Court Classic in Charlottesville. She and Asia Muhammad won five ITF doubles titles by the end of April. Taylor's ranking steadily rose, and she finished 2016 ranked No. 73 in doubles.
In 2017, Taylor stayed just outside the top 100 for most of the year. She reached the third round of the Miami Open. This was her best result at a major WTA tournament so far. She also won a match at the French Open. Towards the end of the year, she won both singles and doubles titles at two smaller tournaments. In her final tournament of the year, she won the Waco Showdown. This was the biggest title of her career. With this win, she returned to the top 100 in singles.
2018: Career-High Ranking
In the spring of 2018, Taylor played very well on the American clay-court circuit. She reached the semifinals at two events and won the titles at two others. These wins helped her earn a special entry into the French Open for the third time. At the end of this period, Taylor reached her career-high singles ranking of No. 73 in the world.
She also played for the Philadelphia Freedoms in the World TeamTennis league. She was named the Female MVP for the season.
2019–2020: US Open Success
At the 2019 US Open, Taylor achieved a big win. She beat world No. 4, Simona Halep, in the second round. This was her first win against a top-10 player. She then beat another player to reach the fourth round. This was her best result ever at a major singles event.
At the 2020 US Open, she reached the semifinals in doubles for the first time. She partnered with Asia Muhammad.
2022: US Open Finalist
At the French Open, Taylor reached the semifinals in doubles. She partnered with Madison Keys. She also played in the singles main draw using a special ranking after her maternity leave.
At the US Open, she reached the doubles final with Caty McNally. They finished as runners-up.
2023: Doubles Success and Top 5 Ranking
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In singles, Taylor played at the 2023 Australian Open and won her first-round match.
In doubles, Taylor had a great start to 2023. She won two titles at the Adelaide International with different partners. These wins helped her reach a new career-high ranking in doubles, entering the top 20.
At the Miami Open, she and Leylah Fernandez reached the doubles final. They lost to the top American team of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. After this, Taylor reached a new career-high doubles ranking of No. 14.
She entered the top 10 in doubles, reaching world No. 6, after making the semifinals at the Madrid Open with Leylah Fernandez. At the Italian Open, she reached the third round in singles. She beat Jessica Pegula, who was ranked No. 3, for her second career win against a top-5 player. Later, she reached her second major final with Leylah Fernandez at the French Open. As a result, she reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 5 in doubles in June 2023.
In August, Taylor partnered with Alycia Parks for the first time at the Cincinnati Open. They won the title together.
2024: Wimbledon Title and Singles Quarterfinal
At the Adelaide International in January, Taylor won the doubles title with Beatriz Haddad Maia.
She reached her third Grand Slam doubles final at the Wimbledon Championships. She and Kateřina Siniaková won the title. They beat the new world No. 1 team of Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski. This win helped Taylor return to the top 10 in doubles rankings.
In August, she won her seventh doubles title with Asia Muhammad at the Washington Open.
At the Canadian Open, Taylor was ranked No. 71. She got into the main draw as a "lucky loser" and reached the quarterfinals. This was her first time reaching the quarterfinals at a WTA 1000 event. She beat several higher-ranked players, including Jeļena Ostapenko. She was the first "lucky loser" to reach a WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2009. She also played well at the Cincinnati Open. As a result, she reached a new career-high singles ranking of No. 46 in August 2024.
Taylor partnered with Donald Young in mixed doubles at the US Open. They reached the final but lost.
Taylor and Kateřina Siniaková qualified for the WTA Finals. They reached the semifinals and then the final, where they lost.
World TeamTennis
Taylor has played six seasons in the World TeamTennis league. She started in 2013 with the Sacramento Capitals. From 2014 to 2019, she played for the Philadelphia Freedoms. In 2018, she was named the WTT Female MVP. This was because she had the best winning percentage in women's singles and women's doubles that season. She also played for the Philadelphia Freedoms in the 2020 season.
In 2020, Taylor played mixed doubles with Fabrice Martin and women's doubles with Caroline Dolehide and Sofia Kenin. The Freedoms team reached the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. However, they lost in the semifinals to the New York Empire.
Grand Slam Tournament Finals
Taylor has reached several Grand Slam finals in doubles.
Doubles: 4 (1 title, 2 runner-ups, 1 pending)
- 2022 US Open: Lost with Caty McNally to Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková.
- 2023 French Open: Lost with Leylah Fernandez to Hsieh Su-wei and Wang Xinyu.
- 2024 Wimbledon: Won with Kateřina Siniaková against Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe.
- 2025 Australian Open: Pending with Kateřina Siniaková against Hsieh Su-wei and Jeļena Ostapenko.
Mixed Doubles: 1 (runner-up)
- 2024 US Open: Lost with Donald Young to Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani.
Other Big Finals
Taylor has also played in other important finals.
WTA Finals
Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)
- 2024 WTA Finals: Lost with Kateřina Siniaková to Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe.
WTA 1000 Tournaments
Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
- 2023 Miami Open: Lost with Leylah Fernandez to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
- 2023 Cincinnati Open: Won with Alycia Parks against Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez.
WTA Tour Finals (Doubles)
Taylor has played in 14 WTA Tour doubles finals, winning 7 titles and finishing as runner-up 6 times, with 1 pending.
- Wins (7):
- 2020 Auckland Open (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2023 Adelaide International 1 (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2023 Adelaide International 2 (with Luisa Stefani)
- 2023 Cincinnati Open (with Alycia Parks)
- 2024 Adelaide International (with Beatriz Haddad Maia)
- 2024 Wimbledon (with Kateřina Siniaková)
- 2024 Washington Open (with Asia Muhammad)
- Losses (6):
- 2013 Washington Open (with Eugenie Bouchard)
- 2019 Auckland Open (with Paige Hourigan)
- 2022 US Open (with Caty McNally)
- 2023 Miami Open (with Leylah Fernandez)
- 2023 French Open (with Leylah Fernandez)
- 2024 WTA Finals (with Kateřina Siniaková)
- Pending (1):
- 2025 Australian Open (with Kateřina Siniaková)
WTA Challenger Finals
Singles: 1 (runner-up)
- 2023 Firenze Ladies Open: Lost to Jasmine Paolini.
Doubles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)
- Wins (2):
- 2018 Indian Wells Challenger (with Yanina Wickmayer)
- 2020 Indian Wells Challenger (with Asia Muhammad)
- Losses (2):
- 2019 Newport Beach Challenger (with Yanina Wickmayer)
- 2019 Indian Wells Challenger (with Yanina Wickmayer)
ITF Circuit Finals
Taylor has had great success on the ITF Circuit, winning many titles.
Singles: 17 (14 titles, 3 runner-ups)
- Wins (14):
- 2014 Charlottesville Open
- 2014 ITF Indian Harbour Beach
- 2016 Charlottesville Open
- 2017 ITF Sumter
- 2017 ITF Florence
- 2017 Waco Showdown
- 2018 Dothan Pro Classic
- 2018 ITF Charleston Pro
- 2018 ITF Sumter
- 2019 ITF Charleston Pro
- 2022 ITF Charleston Pro
- 2022 Tyler Pro Challenge
- 2023 ITF Templeton Pro
- 2023 Tennis Classic of Macon
- Losses (3):
- 2016 Dothan Pro Classic
- 2016 ITF Indian Harbour Beach
- 2017 ITF Naples
Doubles: 24 (17 titles, 7 runner-ups)
- Wins (17):
- 2014 Charlottesville Open (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2014 ITF Indian Harbour Beach (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2014 Toronto Challenger (with Maria Sanchez)
- 2015 ITF Indian Harbour Beach (with Maria Sanchez)
- 2016 Rancho Santa Fe Open (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2016 ITF Osprey Pro (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2016 ITF Pelham (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2016 Dothan Pro Classic (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2016 Charlottesville Open (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2016 Tennis Classic of Macon (with Michaëlla Krajicek)
- 2016 Scottsdale Challenge (with Ingrid Neel)
- 2016 Waco Showdown (with Michaëlla Krajicek)
- 2017 ITF Sumter (with Jessica Pegula)
- 2017 ITF Florence (with Maria Sanchez)
- 2017 Tyler Pro Challenge (with Jessica Pegula)
- 2019 Charlottesville Open (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2019 ITF Charleston Pro (with Asia Muhammad)
- Losses (7):
- 2013 Albuquerque Championships (with Melanie Oudin)
- 2013 ITF New Braunfels (with Asia Muhammad)
- 2016 Championships of Maui (with Jessica Pegula)
- 2016 Atlanta Open (with Alexandra Stevenson)
- 2017 ITF Naples (with Danielle Collins)
- 2017 Waco Showdown (with Jessica Pegula)
- 2018 Rancho Santa Fe Open (with Eva Hrdinová)
Junior Grand Slam Tournament Finals
Taylor had great success in junior Grand Slams.
Girls' Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
- 2012 Australian Open: Won against Yulia Putintseva.
- 2013 Wimbledon: Lost to Belinda Bencic.
Girls' Doubles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)
- 2011 US Open: Lost with Gabrielle Andrews to Irina Khromacheva and Demi Schuurs.
- 2012 Australian Open: Won with Gabrielle Andrews against Irina Khromacheva and Danka Kovinić.
- 2012 Wimbledon: Won with Eugenie Bouchard against Belinda Bencic and Ana Konjuh.
- 2012 US Open: Won with Gabrielle Andrews against Belinda Bencic and Petra Uberalová.
Wins Over Top 10 Players
Taylor has beaten two players who were ranked in the top 10 at the time of their match.
- 2019 US Open: Beat No. 4 Simona Halep (Taylor was ranked No. 116).
- 2023 Italian Open: Beat No. 3 Jessica Pegula (Taylor was ranked No. 168).
See also
In Spanish: Taylor Townsend para niños
