“I’ve heard for a really long time that I was never going to make it, that I wasn’t going to be able to break through or do this or do that.” Taylor Townsend once said, reflecting on the constant criticism she got over the course of her career. The 28-year-old has, however, come a long way in the last few years. After giving birth to her Son Adyn in 2021, the World No.2 doubles player has found regular success. She started the 2025 season with a bang, clinching her second Slam title with her doubles partner Katerina Siniakova at the Australian Open. And if that wasn’t enough, the pair clinched another title in Dubai last week. Townsend is oozing confidence at the moment, and it was on full display in the WTA’s rebranding campaign!
For the uninitiated, the governing body of women’s tennis has opted to change its famous purple logo to green. A brand new logo was unveiled with various promotional clips featuring top WTA stars such as Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and many more. Among them was Taylor Townsend, who looked absolutely stunning in a clip dedicated to her as part of WTA’s campaign titled ‘Rally the World.’ It’s a huge change after December 2020 when the purple logo was introduced with a tagline ‘For the Game.’
On Thursday, WTA’s official IG account shared a short video that featured the 2024 Wimbledon women’s double champion Townsend and her fellow WTA stars, who took turns delivering a powerful message. “This is my stage, to be me. Playing to be me means showing up to the mothers, showing up to the girls, showing up to the women, being a representation for my culture,” she said.
Townsend, over the years, faced a lot of unfavorable reactions from people who always thought she wouldn’t succeed consistently at the toplevel. It’s something she reflected on in 2019, too. During her US Open campaign back in 2019, the 119-ranked Townsend stunned the then World No.4 Simona Halep in the second round of the singles. Responding to her detractors after that performance, she said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s been a long road. A lot of haters, a lot of people who weren’t sure.” Continuing further, she added, “I’ve really embraced thriving in these kinds of conditions, being able to prove people wrong. I’ve always been that way, but I think I suppressed that side of me for a long time.” Well, not anymore. Not with her newfound confidence.
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Taylor Townsend‘s career has witnessed a great turnaround this season. While she’s already won two Slams with Siniakova in less than a year, her AO victory last month stands out the most. Why so? Well, there’s a special reason behind it.
When Taylor Townsend expressed a poignant moment after coming back to Australia a decade later
Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova beat Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko in the doubles final at Rod Laver Arena, with a score line of 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3. It was a special occasion for the 28-year-old Townsend as she was playing in Australia after a long time. To be precise, the last time she played in Melbourne before this year’s Australian Open was when she was just 15. It was over a decade ago. Speaking in a press conference, she revealed, “I won the juniors here, that was the kickstart.”
“Being here is so special to me because this tournament was the start of me living out this dream. I honestly didn’t think playing on this stage was possible when I played the juniors, so 13 years later to be holding this trophy, it really is amazing,” she further added.
Townsend also hoped that her victory, coming from the background she came from, would motivate young, aspiring kids to take up tennis professionally. “I’m a little girl from the south side of Chicago. Winning this title in Melbourne, I hope this inspires people,” she concluded.
After her AO triumph with Siniakova, Townsend partnered with compatriot Caroline Dolehide at the Singapore Open, but the change didn’t work out. The pair was ousted in the first round itself. However, the American got back her winning momentum as she reunited with Siniakova at the Dubai Tennis Championships. In the final in Dubai, they beat the same pair of Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko, whom they had beaten in Melbourne as well, this time with a score line of 7-6(5), 6-4.
The next destination for this champion doubles pair is Indian Wells. Do you think Townsend and Siniakova will add another title to their tally at BNP Paribas?
The post “I’m Not Scared”: Proud Mama Taylor Townsend Channels Fearless Strength While Welcoming WTA’s Evolution appeared first on EssentiallySports.
