“I had guilt about coming back and not having enough time with my son in comparison to how much I was gone.” Though these words come from Taylor Townsend, they resonate with all moms on the WTA tour who have to spend time away from their kids to fulfill their professional commitments. For Townsend, though, things are different now. After weeks of battling on the court for titles in Australia and the Middle East, she is finally home. And who’s there to welcome her? Of course, none other than her 4-year-old son, Adyn Aubrey, aka AJ! Just a few hours ago, she shared a heartwarming clip of their quality time together after a long time away from each other. But what exactly were they up to?
The current AO doubles winner welcomed her son, Adyn Aubrey, in 2021, but her journey into motherhood has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Townsend discovered she was pregnant in 2020: a revelation that initially terrified her, not just because of her deep commitment to professional tennis and the uncertainty of how motherhood would impact her tennis career but also because becoming a parent was never part of her original plan.
She discovered she was pregnant when she was actually in the middle of a tournament and, as she put it, she did not want it. However, keeping the news to herself, she chose to hide her pregnancy for a long time, only revealing it after the 2020 US Open. And, after embracing the journey of motherhood and all its challenges, the American has emerged stronger than ever. And, now, back home after more than a month on tour, it’s only natural that she can’t have enough of her son. Every working mother out there can understand the joy of that reunion.
Upon her return home, the AO champ shared two short videos on her Instagram stories. In the first video, she could be seen having a chat with her son, AJ. She prompted him by saying, “AJ, tell the people what you said about my food and what I put in there.” AJ replied, “It’s so good that I can’t eat it. Your life.” She added a caption, “AJ is my best hype man and OP at the same time.” In the second clip, AJ appeared annoyed as he wanted to shut off the camera, telling her to stop the video. The mother responded, “These are my friends; you asked to do another video.” AJ then said, “I don’t like them. Turn them off. Hey you, get away from me.”
Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 13, 2024 Taylor Townsend of the U.S. and Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova celebrate winning the women’s doubles final against Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe REUTERS/Matthew Childs
Well, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen heartwarming moments from the mother-son duo. Even last December, after a long stretch on the WTA tour, Townsend returned home and had a blast with AJ. In a playful moment, she even joked that her son’s backhand could one day rival the Italian top seed Jannik Sinner’s. However, their fun was short-lived, as both mother and son fell ill soon after the moment went viral.
And Townsend hasn’t returned home empty-handed; she’s also bringing back a career milestone with her as well. Thanks to her triumph in the recently finished Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships, she has soared to the second spot in the doubles rankings, a career-best for her till now. And, as she embraces this success, she’s also carrying home some valuable realizations along the way.
“It is never easy being away from my son” — Townsend opens up about her life at tours without her son
Taylor Townsend’s success goes beyond her WTA titles, as it’s also about her personal growth. Her time away from Adyn isn’t just a sacrifice; it’s a journey of learning and evolving as a player, allowing her to become an even better mother. Life on tour is a whirlwind of constant travel, unpredictable schedules, and, as she recently stated, unforeseen challenges. But instead of resisting it, the 28-year-old American has embraced the chaos within, transforming obstacles into opportunities for self-improvement.
Just after the Down Under glory, she had an interview with Essence Magazine. “I’m doing okay. I’m doing well, but it’s also really strange because I won a Grand Slam, and then one day later, I’m in a different country, and I get my a– kicked, and it’s crazy, but that’s just how tennis goes. But I’m doing well. I’m really enjoying the time that I have to myself. When I’m on the road, and I don’t travel with AJ, I really try and just use this time to ask myself questions and get one with myself,” she said.
Townsend continued, “I try to use these opportunities to grow as a person so I come back and I’m able to instill certain lessons in him or certain realizations that I’ve maybe come to while I’ve been gone to help me to be a better mom to him. I’m enjoying it. It is never easy being away from my son, especially for so long. I miss him. I try to talk to him every day, but these time changes are crazy.”
As the top-seeded American doubles player sees it, being away from her son for extended periods comes with a significant incentive: it makes her cherish and prioritize quality time with him even more when she returns home. We can only say, more power to you, Taylor!
The post “I Don’t Like Them”: Taylor Townsend’s ‘Possessive’ Son Adyn Makes an Adorable Attempt to Keep Mama All to Himself appeared first on EssentiallySports.