Taylor Townsend has reached her first singles semifinal after defeating Rebeka Masarova in the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 ATX Open in Austin. She returned in the match after losing the first set to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in about 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The moment was all the more special for Townsend as she marked her first semifinal entry in the presence of her son Adyn Aubrey Johnson, often called AJ. He was born on March 14, 2021.
After the game, Townsend became emotional while reflecting on her tennis journey after becoming a mother. Against all the odds, she has managed to make another mark in her career and she embraces the new chapter with a lot of positivity in front of AJ.
“I’ve gone through a lot. I’m just really trying to find myself, my voice, my game, my way,” Townsend said after the win. “Over the course of my career, I felt like I was doing things for other people. And since coming back and having AJ, I’ve been doing it for a bigger purpose and a bigger reason. But even more so now, outside of him, I’m doing this for me.
“I really feel so strong. I really feel like this is just the start of a new Taylor, and I’m excited. It’s a whole new chapter. It’s a new everything. You know, we’re entering into a new year. I’ve seen all this stuff on my Instagram algorithm about the Year of the Horse, Fire Horse year, Snake year, all this stuff. But it made sense because I’ve had a really, really big shedding.
Townsend also mentioned losing people who she thought wouldn’t leave her. But there are some who are having her back and she is grateful to them.
“There are so many people who are gone that I wasn’t expecting to be gone, but they are. And I’m having to find my own way,” Townsend added. “The people who are here have my back, and we’re making it happen. I mean, my manager is over here; she’s my manager and nanny. We’re doing anything we have to do in order to be out here and get it done. So thank you to everyone.”
Taylor Townsend Drops Tears While Talking About Fighting Spirit
Taylor Townsend was running high on emotions after making her first singles semifinal. She admitted that the emotions were not because of the win but rather taking pride in never giving up despite the odds stacked against her.
“Honestly, the reason I’m crying has nothing to do with the result,” she said. “How I fell on the court had nothing to do with tennis. It was all in my head, in between my ears. And over the course of my career, I’ve always struggled with things like that… I just told myself to keep fighting. I cussed myself out a couple of times. I shed some tears.
“So I’m just so proud of myself. And I’m proud to be able to do that in front of AJ, to show him to never give up.”
Before the win on Friday, the American won her opening match against Linda Fruhvirtova and a straight-sets victory over Nikola Bartunkova. Townsend’s semifinal opponent is yet to be decided.
Read More News:
Jannik Sinner At Indian Wells: Missing Coach & Secret California Training For World No. 2 Revealed
Daniil Medvedev Gives Alarming Judgement on Novak Djokovic’s Shock PTPA Exit
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
