US OPEN

August 30, 2025

Taylor Townsend

Press Conference

SINIAKOVA-TOWNSEND/Parks-Yastremska

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Well, congratulations.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Thank you.

Q. You've done pretty well out there. The other day you said sort of your purpose in the game is to create a legacy, and you noted that, hey, I'm already in the history books. But my question is the way you're handling it, the way you're navigating it, do you want this to be a big part or a significant part of your legacy?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Absolutely. I believe that, you know, in forging the path of a legacy, there are defining moments, and I believe there have been some defining moments definitely throughout this event so far.

You know, Ben had said yesterday, and it was a really interesting way he had framed it, there are people who are just now finding out who I am, who Taylor Townsend is. So this is their first interaction and observation of me. It's one that is, you know, hopefully positive.

But, yeah, I believe that there are defining moments. This event, this tournament, has been definitely one, for sure. So I do believe that in carving out a legacy for myself in terms of just me as a person, even personally, this has been one that I will put down in my own history just because I'm really proud of the way that I've been able to show up over these last couple of weeks and especially over these last couple of days.

You know, I'm proud that I haven't let anything on the outside deter me from my job at hand, which is playing my best tennis.

Q. You said you have been growing and this is something you keep on working on. How do you think this will help you as a person? How does it help you grow?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I think it's helping me to understand how to navigate situations more so on the social media side, as well. You know, it's a lot of noise that's happened and, like, my social media followers have, like, doubled in two days. So just a lot more exposure and a lot more, you know, connection in that space.

So just, I think, being able to help me navigate just how to balance that world. And I don't think that it will be hard for me, because I'm pretty good at that balance, but, you know, it's just a lot more now.

So I think that for me as a person, this is helping me to be able to learn how to engage and then when I need to quiet it and come in and keep everything locked in.

Q. When I guess most of us had last spoken to you, you said you had not heard from Ostapenko. I'm curious (a) have you heard from her in the ensuing days?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: No.

Q. (B) were you aware then that she had taken to social media today to apologize, at least in vague terms about her comments?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: No, that's why I was, like, y'all have news for me. So I was hoping someone would tell me.

No, I didn't know that. I mean, the fact of the matter is, like I said the other day, I'm still playing. So I don't have time to be tapped in on what she's got going on and what she says.

I had a job to do today. Got it done in the doubles. Like I said, this is part of it, right, being able to disconnect from whatever is happening on the outside, because I have a goal while I'm here. I said it last night, just keeping the main thing the main thing, which is I'm here to continue to grow and grow as a player and play my best tennis and put that on display. Anything that gets in the way of that has got to go.

So I haven't seen anything. I didn't know, I don't know what she said. But I'm still here. So I'm glad that she has the time to be able to do that.

Q. Are you like a destiny kind of person? Are you experiencing this as sort of like everything that happened before prepared me for this moment, and now it all makes sense? Or are you just sort of, like, stuff happens?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: No, I definitely believe that everything happens for a reason. There are times that when you're in things, you don't really understand why it's happening until you're removed from it or you're past it or outside of it.

So even for me with, you know, just the hard things that I've had to endure that I have never experienced before, even over the course of this year, you know, getting a concussion and then right after, you know, the Roland Garros, playing tournament, rolling my ankle right before Wimbledon, not being sure if I was going to be able to play Wimbledon. It's just been trials and tribulations throughout, you know, that I have worked through.

So I do think that everything happens for a reason. I truly do believe internally that all of my experiences have prepared me for these moments. You know, I don't believe that if I hadn't worked on myself and been working on myself and doing the work as a person and as a tennis player that I would have handled the situation maybe the way that I did and maybe would have been as clear and concise, or I would have felt like I had to show up differently instead of just being okay with showing up as me.

That's been the really cool thing because my responses are genuinely Taylor. If you like it, you like it; if you agree, you agree; if you don't, you don't. I'm okay with that.

I do believe that the timing is divine. Everything is happening exactly the way that it's supposed to. I truly believe there are never any accidents.

Q. Going to the tennis, what are your thoughts going into tomorrow's singles match?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I'm excited. I'm really excited. A.J. just got here, so I'm really pumped for him to be able to be here. He hasn't been to the US Open since he was, like, one-and-a-half. So I'm excited for him to be back here with me and for him just to be able to see me play. I love it.

So I'm excited for the match. I'm looking forward to the challenge. Barbora has been playing some really great tennis, she's a two-time Grand Slam champion. I have a ton of respect for her. Really nice person.

It's going to be a battle and it's going to be a fight, and I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to being able to continue to show up as my best self and make a commitment to myself to show up as me and just be Taylor. That's enough.

Q. You mentioned your son. How aware is he that his mom is the star of the US Open?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I don't think he knows. He's just, like, I'm going to New York. That's it.

I was, like, I'm in a place where I was, like, dang, I can't say anything that I don't mean anymore. He remembers everything. He was, like, Remember, I'm coming to New York. He was telling his teachers that. I'm going to New York to see my mom.

Yeah, I don't know if he understands, like, everything, but he definitely knows what I do. It was funny, because in Cincinnati I asked Carlos Alcaraz to take a picture with him, he was so nice. Yeah, of course.

I was just like, A.J., Carlos. I forgot he's not No. 1. I was like, Carlos is No. 1 too. A.J. goes, You're No. 1? Just like my mom. Carlos was like, I'm kind of close. He played it off.

So it was funny, too, because he just doesn't even have any concept of who Carlos Alcaraz is and how amazing he is. It's really cool just to see him be able to experience me in this space. It's also nice for me to be able to have him, even if it's for short amount of times, this helps me disconnect. You know, it helps me to be able to balance all of the crazy.

It's an innate thing where as soon as he's around and as soon as I'm off the court and the job is done, like, I just go into mom mode where I'm like, Did you drink water today? Do you have to pee?

Just go into mom mode. It's nice, because it completely takes your mind off whatever happened on the court.

You know, in tennis, because of the environment and how everything is structured, especially here in New York, everything is crazy and fast, it's easy for you to kind of like get wrapped up and continue and carry things on, you know, and allow things to keep moving and keep going.

You drag one day into the next or you weren't doing certain things well in this match and it could carry over into your warm-up or your practice the next day.

So for me, it's nice that, first off, with everything that's happened, that I didn't allow those things to happen, but then also, my son being here, it really kind of gives me a hard boundary where I can just completely turn off from tennis and just be a mom.

Q. I'll read to you the post, since you mentioned it. This was by Ostapenko this afternoon. She said: "Hi, all. I wanted to apologize for some of the things I said during my second-round singles match. English is not my native language, so when I said 'education,' I was speaking only about what I believe is tennis etiquette, but I understand how the words I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court. I appreciate the support as I continue to learn and grow as a person and a tennis player. Good-bye, New York, and I look forward to being back next year." What are your thoughts about that message that Ostapenko posted publicly?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I like you. You're a little messy. (Laughter.) No, I'm kidding.

No, that's nice that she did that, that she apologized. I mean, that's fine. That's cool.

At the end of the day, I think that it's a learning lesson for her. Again, like I said when everything first happened, you cannot push your expectations on other people. That's ultimately what happened.

She expected for me to react a certain type of way, and I didn't, and it infuriated her. Which led her to say things that are hurtful, that are belligerent, that are offensive, not only to me, but, you know, to the sport and to a whole culture of people that I try to do my best to represent the best that I can.

So for me, it's nice that she apologized. You know, this isn't the first, second, third, fourth time. There have been incidents where she gets upset about a net cord so it's not a surprising thing that she acted this way.

Also, we just have to keep in mind that it's competition, we're playing a sport. You know, you can't get upset if someone doesn't do something that you want them to do. Like, who are you? I can't get mad that you don't do something that maybe I expect for you to do.

Ultimately, when we get our emotions wrapped up in things is where we get our feelings hurt. I think that's ultimately what happened. It's great she went to social media and apologized. I really hope from this she can take that, hey, you can't control people and it's better just to focus on yourself.

Q. I'm curious if there has been any extra meaning or resonance for you about all the foregrounding at this year's tournament of Althea Gibson, 75th anniversary of her breaking the color barrier here, being on the poster, and if that's something that feels relevant or resonant to you in your tournament and just this moment in tennis generally.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, first off, what the USTA has done, the initiatives in honoring Althea Gibson, it's beautiful. The poster and the artwork was made by a young Black woman, and it's fantastic. Just overall leaning into trying to provide representation in different lights, as well, right? And to honor the legacy that Althea Gibson had forged.

So kudos to the USTA and all the people involved to be able to lean in on that as well as, you know, what happened, the incident happened on HBCU Day, so if people don't know, HBCU is Historically Black College University. My sister went to FAMU, which is an HBCU.

I have many friends who went to HBCU. My god sister goes to Howard. So it's near and dear to my heart.

It definitely is something that I feel like is, you know, almost, like you said, it's irony in a way. But it's really cool. More so than anything, the message is positive, all positive, and being able to bring light to the amazing things that Althea Gibson did and how, if it wasn't for her, then maybe it wouldn't be us.

Like I said, everything, you have to see it to believe it, and it sometimes only takes one. After Althea, there was a group. After that it was a group. And it inspired people to continue, and now we have, you know, lots of Black women competing. It's the most Black women and Black men I think ever in history on the male and female sides competing maybe inside the top 100 and doing really amazing things.

I'm proud, proud to be in the position that I am. I'm proud to honor my culture. I'm proud to be here as an American player representing here at the US Open and being able to get the love and support that I've gotten from the crowd and the fans and everyone even outside.

So, you know, I'm leaning in on it, I'm taking everything as it is, and I'm just enjoying the ride.