Taylor Townsend’s Historic Rise to No. 1 Doubles Star
You know, when people talk about perseverance in sports, Taylor Townsend’s name should be right there at the top. Because what she’s just accomplished—it’s not just historic, it’s deeply inspiring.
This past weekend at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, Townsend officially became the No. 1-ranked doubles player in the world. That alone is impressive, but here’s what makes it extraordinary: she’s the first mother in women’s tennis history to ever reach that top spot. And she did it just a few years after giving birth to her son, Adyn, in 2021. Let that sink in. She returned to the tour in 2022—not even a full season that year—and within just three years, she’s not only back, she’s on top.
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It’s been a journey full of ups and downs for Townsend. Back in 2012, she was the teenage phenom—junior world No. 1, an Australian Open junior champ, and a Wimbledon doubles winner. But instead of getting the full support she deserved, she faced criticism. She didn’t fit the “typical” mold of what elite athletes were expected to look like. The USTA actually pulled her from the junior US Open and sent her to focus on her fitness. That kind of public scrutiny? At 16 years old? It was brutal. And to make it worse, she eventually lost funding and support from USTA entirely.
But she never gave up. She reinvented herself. She pushed through, even when the system didn’t always have her back. And this latest achievement—reaching the No. 1 doubles ranking—is the ultimate proof of that resilience.
Townsend and Shuai Zhang, playing together for the first time, advanced to the final in Washington after their opponents retired early in the semis. That semifinal win gave Townsend just enough ranking points to overtake Katerina Siniakova, who had held the No. 1 spot for 46 straight weeks. The very next day, Townsend and Zhang dominated the final, winning 6-1, 6-1 in just 48 minutes.
This win marks Townsend’s 10th career WTA doubles title—and yes, she’s now the 50th woman, and only the 13th American, to ever be ranked No. 1 in doubles.
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