Friday’s night session on Arthur Ashe saw American star Taylor Townsend upset No. 5-seeded Mirra Andreeva in straight sets.
In the time between Townsend’s win over No. 25-seeded Jelena Ostapenko and her big win over Andreeva, the top-ranked doubles player dealt with a major controversy stemming from a heated post-match exchange with Ostapenko.
Following Friday’s win, Townsend thanked fans for their support over the past 48 hours during her on-court interview:
“I wanna say thank you to everyone who supported me the last 48 hours. It’s bigger than me. It’s about the message and representation. It’s about being bold and being able to show up as yourself and I think that tonight you guys saw the real Taylor Townsend tonight.”
Townsend now punches her ticket to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2019. She will next collide with nine-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday.
With her win on Friday, Townsend is also up to No. 111 in the WTA live rankings.
‘We’re Standing on Business,’ – Taylor Townsend Reacts to Friday’s Win
Given that she’s competing in both singles and doubles, Taylor Townsend doesn’t get to enjoy a day off between matches like many of her peers.
During her on-court interview with fellow American tennis standout Chris Eubanks seen above, Townsend was asked how she’s planning to “keep the main thing the main thing” ahead of the next round:
“I mean we’re standing on business on this team. Nothing’s going to change. I’m going to go in the locker room, get my protein shake, get on the bike, do my stretch recovery. I have doubles, so I hope you guys can come out and support me there.
“But the job’s not done. I’m happy with what I did tonight. But we’re standing on business and we continue here in New York.”
Townsend and Katerina Siniakova will look to book their spot in the third round of the doubles draw today on Court 12, with an estimated start time of 3 p.m. ET.
Taylor Townsend Dedicates Andreeva Win to Coach & Son
Following Friday’s win over Mirra Andreeva on Arthur Ashe, Taylor Townsend revealed that her son AJ will be in attendance for her upcoming doubles match on Saturday.
During her on-court interview, Townsend dedicated the big win to both her coach, and her son:
“God d*** this feels good. All I’m going to say is welcome to the show. I’ve been putting in a lot of hard work. I want to dedicate this win to my coach. We’ve been blood, sweat, and tears. Alsoto my son, AJ. He’ll be here tomorrow. He was telling his teachers at school, ‘I’m going to New York to see my mom.’ So this just felt good.
“I haven’t been in a round of 16 since 2019. I haven’t played a night match on this court since I played Andreesecu (2019) and she ended up winning the tournament.”
No player has won titles in both singles and doubles at the US Open in the same year since 1979, when all-time great John McEnroe became just the second player in history to accomplish the feat.
Whether Taylor Townsend can keep her remarkable run going in Flushing Meadows, only time will tell.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post ‘It’s Bigger Than Me,’ – Taylor Townsend Sends Message After US Open Win appeared first on Heavy Sports.