Taylor Townsend is soaring high, riding a wave of momentum that refuses to crash. Fresh off her Citi Open win in Washington alongside Zhang Shuai, her third doubles title of the season, Townsend continues to make headlines. Since welcoming her son Adyn in 2021, she’s masterfully balanced motherhood with the brutal demands of the tour. From her 2024 Wimbledon triumph to clinching the 2025 Australian Open, plus titles in Dubai and now Washington, she’s been nothing short of relentless. As her latest victory creates buzz across American tennis, one WTA pro lifts the curtain on who Townsend truly is behind the scenes.
In just her third full season back since giving birth to her son, Taylor Townsend has rewritten the script on what’s possible. The 29-year-old Chicago native reached the final of the WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. with partner Shuai Zhang, and in doing so, made history. Townsend officially became the first mother ever to achieve the WTA World No. 1 Doubles ranking, a full-circle moment for the former junior world No. 1. Since her return in 2022, just a year after welcoming Adyn, she has stormed into the quarterfinals or better at the majors nine times, a massive leap from just two such appearances pre-motherhood.
Now a two-time Grand Slam champion with multiple Masters 1000 titles under her belt, Townsend has cemented her name among the greats. She’s the 50th player, and the 13th American, to claim the No. 1 doubles crown since the WTA rankings began. And while her victory is etched as a proud chapter in American tennis history, former doubles No. 1 Storm Hunter has now pulled back the curtain, revealing just how driven, relentless, and hardworking Townsend truly is behind the scenes.
On a recent episode of The Tennis podcast aired by Australian Open TV, Storm Hunter couldn’t hold back her admiration for the latest queen of women’s doubles. When asked what caught her attention this week, she didn’t hesitate: “What’s caught my eye this week is that we have a new women’s doubles world number one. America’s Taylor Townsend. She took the number one spot this week for the very first time,” she declared with pride.
Aug 5, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Taylor Townsend (USA) hits a ball to Erika Andreeva (not pictured) during qualifying round play at Sobeys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Hunter dove deeper into the milestone, spotlighting Townsend’s dominant run in Washington, D.C. “She ended up winning the title at Washington DC partnering with Zhang [Shuai] defeating Caroline Dolehide and Sofia Kenin 6-1, 6-1. And it’s amazing. It’s the 50th women’s player to hold the title and the first mother ever. Amazing, amazing story, Taylor,” she said, full of admiration. Hunter also reminded listeners of Townsend’s early promise: “We know that as a young junior she was world number one and was super talented as a young player.”
But Townsend’s path wasn’t all smooth. Hunter pulled no punches in describing her resilience. “Kind of struggled a little bit from her late teens into her early 20s and just such a hard worker,” she noted. “That’s something that I’ve noticed on tour is that she’s always out on the court trying to get better in singles, in doubles.”
The Aussie doubled down on her praise, highlighting Townsend’s unmatched grit. “She’s always out there competing and she had her son Adyn Aubrey in 2021 and she’s spoken very publicly about how much strength and motivation that he gives her,” she said. “And that she’s doing this for him.”
Then came the moment that tugged on hearts: “For her to achieve that ranking in DC with her friends and family and her son Adyn. There was just a magical moment for her and just congratulations. It’s incredible.”
As Hunter’s words echoed across the tennis world, the spotlight shone brighter on Townsend. Her ascent wasn’t just a win, it was a wave of inspiration, as fellow Americans joined in to salute a mother, a fighter, and now, a world number one.
Fellow American tennis players applaud Taylor Townsend for her historic WTA feat
Taylor Townsend’s ascent to the top of the WTA doubles world wasn’t just historic, it was heroic, especially considering she once had to turn down funding to travel to key events like the Girls’ 18s Nationals and the U.S. Open, unless she lost weight. After clinching the DC Open title, she soared past her usual partner, Katerina Siniakova, to grab the coveted No. 1 spot. For context, Siniakova had been the iron queen at the summit, logging 161 career weeks as No. 1, including an uninterrupted 46-week reign since the last US Open.
Yet, the WTA’s ranking system only counts a player’s best 12 results over the past 12 months, and Townsend’s edge came from her unmatched consistency. Nine of those top results were shared with Siniakova, including two title runs, but the firepower in Townsend’s individual grind tilted the balance.
The moment was too big for silence. Townsend took to Instagram, heart wide open: “Taylor Townsend, #1 in the WORLD First mom to ever be a world #1 This is a literal dream come true! Thank you Adyn for giving me a new purpose! Thank you @elevatewithjohn for all that we have done to make my dreams a reality .” The love poured in instantly.
Ben Shelton, her soon-to-be partner in the new mixed doubles format at the US Open, jumped in, writing, “One of them ones,” and amplifying the moment on his own Instagram Story. Jessica Pegula dropped the ever-symbolic “,” while Coco Gauff crowned Townsend with “TT1” and a regal emoji, echoes of admiration from champions who’ve lived that mountaintop life.
But now, with the crown comes the challenge. The US Open looms, and with it, a shot at doubling down on greatness. Can Taylor Townsend convert this momentum into a Grand Slam title and etch her name in the granite of tennis history?
One thing’s clear: she’s no longer chasing the dream; she’s living it.
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