Taylor Townsend: 12 Facts About the Tennis Star

Taylor Townsend is playing the absolute best tennis of her life. With several championships already to her name, she made history in 2025 as the first mom ever to reach No. 1 in the women’s doubles rankings.

Like the Black women’s tennis pioneers before her, Townsend has overcome more obstacles than most could imagine. In 2012, she was told to sit out both the US Open girls’ and women’s events because of her weight. She later learned she was anemic. That obstacle didn’t slow her down — she’s also faced harsh criticism — like Jelena Ostapenko’s comments at the 2025 U.S. Open that Townsend had “no class” and “no education.”

The Chicago-born star is both a force on the court and an advocate off of it. Between her role as a mom, her push for equal pay in tennis, and even teaching the likes of Cardi B the basics of the sport, she’s simply an icon. Without further ado, here are 12 facts to know about Taylor Townsend.

1. She grew up in Chicago

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Taylor Townsend of the United States in action during the Women’s Singles first round match against Amandine Hesse of France on day three of the 2016 French Open at Roland Garros

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Townsend spent her early years in Chicago hitting balls across the South Side, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. She told the outlet that the city’s Black tennis community during her childhood always felt tight-knit and welcoming. It was “a family affair,” as she described it.

2. She was “hell” as a kid

Townsend admitted it herself! “I’m not gon’ lie,” she laughed while speaking with the WTA. “It’s crazy, you couldn’t tell me nothing until I became aware of what people were saying about me.” According to the Chicago-born player, that’s also when the criticism began: “When I was 4 years old, [people would say]‘She’s not going to be that good. She’s too short. She’s too fat.’”

3. She’s a Grand Slam champion

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Taylor Townsend of the United States in action against Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round on Day 8 of the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

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Townsend has been on fire since returning to the court after giving birth. At Wimbledon 2024, she partnered with Czechia’s Katerina Siniaková to capture her first major doubles title. The duo reunited the following year and repeated the feat at the 2025 Australian Open.

4. Her mother played tennis

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Sheila Townsend watches her daughter Taylor Townsend of United States of America during her girls’ singles match against Viktoriya Lushkova of Ukraine during day eight of the French Open at Roland Garros

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We have Taylor’s mother, Sheila Townsend, to thank for her early interest in tennis. Sheila competed for Lincoln University in Missouri, where she reached the NCAA Division II Championships and often found success in doubles — much like Taylor would later do. After college, Sheila became a teacher. Fun fact: the tennis champion’s dad also worked in education.

5. She’s a lefty

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Taylor Townsend of the United States poses with the WTA Doubles World No.1 trophy ahead of the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

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Generally speaking, far fewer people are left-handed compared to right-handers, and Taylor Townsend is part of that smaller group. “I naturally am left-handed, I eat left-handed, I write left-handed, but I picked up the racket with my right hand and I just started hitting balls with it,” she told the “TENNIS.com Podcast.”

It actually took a nudge from Donald Young Jr.’s mom, who encouraged her to use her dominant hand, for her to commit to playing lefty. Townsend recalled, “They both made me kind of stick with it, and then I stopped falling.”

6. She’s a mother

Townsend gave birth to her son, Adyn, on March 14, 2021. Sharing the news on Instagram a few weeks later, she wrote, “I can’t put into words how happy I am to introduce the love of my life. He is perfect!” The tennis star has often spoken about how Adyn — or AJ, as she also calls him — is one of her greatest supporters.

7. She was a huge Wiz Khalifa fan

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Taylor Townsend of the United States talks to the media after losing to Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round on Day 8 of the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

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In a 2021 article for The Players’ TribuneTownsend described her 16-year-old self as a “Wiz Khalifa stan.” At the time, she was also the No. 1-ranked junior tennis player. Guess “Taylor Gang” had a double meaning back then!

8. She was forced to sit out the U.S. Open because of her weight

In 2012, 16-year-old Taylor Townsend was told she couldn’t compete until she got into better shape, even refusing to cover her expenses for the U.S. Open. For someone already ranked among the top juniors in the world, the decision was devastating. “It was frustrating!” she later wrote in The Player’s Journal.

“Like, here I was, flying back to Florida to start my fitness ‘hiatus’ while all the other juniors I knew (girls I was ranked higher than) were on their way to New York to start getting ready for the Open,” Townsend said.

9. She’s the first mom to be a No. 1-ranked women’s doubles player

In July 2025, Townsend climbed to the very top of the doubles rankings, officially becoming the No. 1 player in the world. Her run that year included several doubles titles, most notably at the Australian Open. Even more significantly, she became the first mother in history to claim the No. 1 doubles spot.

10. She taught Cardi B tennis

During an episode of “Cardi Tries,” Cardi B invited her “Wild Side” collaborator Normani onto the tennis court for the first time. The two got a little help from Taylor Townsend, who walked them through the basics — from positioning to forehand, backhand, and even how to rally.

“I didn’t know she was left-handed, so that was interesting. Just the whole experience was hilarious,” Townsend looked back at the moment on “Way Up With Angela Yee.” She continued, “It was so much fun. She had just come straight from the studio to shoot that.”

11. She’s a huge advocate for equal pay among men and women in tennis

The fight for women in sports to earn equal pay isn’t limited to basketball. Townsend revealed that female tennis players earn nearly “seven times less than men” across the year, primarily because men compete in best-of-five set matches, whereas women play best-of-three. “How about we close the gap during the rest of the year, when everyone’s playing two out of three sets?” she suggested on “The Baller Alert Show.”

“That’s why there’s such a big emphasis on the Grand Slams because those tournaments are where we make the most money,” Townsend explained. “Those are the biggest paydays in terms of check and then how many points you can get.”

12. She got her tennis style from Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova’s career is nothing short of legendary. She held the No. 1 singles ranking for 332 weeks (second only to Steffi Graf) and collected Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Though Navratilova and Taylor Townsend come from different generations, they share one key trait: both are lefties.

“She’s my tennis idol,” Townsend said while sitting down with Navratilova at Wimbledon 2025. “She’s kind of rough around the edges, like me. She’s not scared to go at ‘em, you know?”