Amid all the noise and controversy that surrounded her altercation with Jelena Ostapenko, Taylor Townsend enjoyed a largely successful three weeks at the US Open.
The American competed in three different events at Flushing Meadows, the first of which was the revamped mixed doubles tournament during ‘fan week’.
Townsend teamed up with compatriot Ben Shelton, with whom she reached the quarterfinals before bowing out to the duo of Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison.
She had another lengthy run in women’s doubles alongside Katerina Siniakova, adding more silverware to her name with a runner-up trophy.
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Where Townsend made the headlines in New York, however, was her singles campaign, recording her joint-best result at a major with a fourth-round finish.
The 29-year-old ultimately bowed out to Barbora Krejcikova in the round of 16, where she was left with a ‘weird’ feeling.
Taylor Townsend recalls her US Open fourth-round exit
Appearing on ‘CBS Mornings’, Townsend explained how her four-year-old son has helped rekindle her passion for tennis.
“I think since having him [her son], I’ve had something that was bigger than tennis.”
“I’ve been playing since I was four. I turned pro at 15. Like, this has been my livelihood, and this is how I’ve provided for myself. And so there was nothing else that was more important than this.
“And for me, not only in the moment, but later down the road and to try and set myself up for a better life and, when he came into my life, then it was something that I loved more than the game.
“But it was ironic because in a way, getting pregnant and having him and having the distance and the space away from the game, allowed me to, like, fall in love with the game again. And I didn’t realise that I needed that space.
“But really weird, too, because I fell in love with the game again in the match that I lost, in my singles match. It was so weird, like, after I was done playing, I was just, like, ‘Oh, my God, I love this. I can’t wait to go back out’.
“So it was, like, the loss really motivated me in a way, honestly, that I haven’t felt in a really, really long time.”
Taylor Townsend’s singles campaign at the 2025 US Open
Townsend’s singles run began with a straight-sets victory over Antonia Ruzic and a drama-filled second-round clash with Ostapenko.
After the US star won 7-5, 6-1, the Latvian voiced her frustrations when meeting her conqueror at the net.
Ostapenko complained about her opponent refusing to apologise after winning a point via a net cord during the match, and later told her she had ‘no class’ and ‘no education’.
The dispute sparked plenty of debate among both players and fans, with many coming to the defence of Townsend.
It did not seem to faze the US star in round three, however, who went on to earn one of the biggest wins of her career in singles, knocking out fifth seed Mirra Andreeva at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Despite her narrow defeat to Krejcikova, Townsend’s stint at the 2025 US Open was one she will look back fondly on.