Two titles in sight for Taylor Townsend at 2026 Australian Open

Her journey at last year’s US Open became one of the tournament’s defining storylines.

Townsend, a lefty whose blend of soft hands, power, and nervy net play made her an insider’s favorite, upset 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko and fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva on her way to the fourth round, her best singles showing at a major.

Ostapenko’s insulting comments at the net after the second round defeat created a firestorm of controversy. Then Townsend ceded eight match points in a tight loss to two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova of Czechia.

By the time her US Open ended after a defeat in the women's doubles final, she had added another chapter to her saga, with a reminder that some breakthroughs arrive not with noise but with persistence.

On Sunday, Townsend said she’s made peace with the narrow loss to Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open and 2024 Wimbledon winner. The resilient player framed it less as a scar than as material for growth and motivation.

“I don't think about it,” she said. “I honestly look at that as a reference point, and I genuinely use it as fuel.

“I’ve used that match in preseason,” Townsend added. “What could I have done better in these moments?”

Wins and losses still matter, but not in the same way; what matters more is how she competes and who she is after every absence.

“There’s something bigger than tennis for me now,” Townsend said. “I’m proud of how I show up. I fight. I don’t quit. And when I leave, I want to come back better than I was before.”

After she welcomed her son, Townsend worked as a television analyst during her maternity leave and returned with a simple goal: to become better than the player she was before his birth.

The results followed. In 2024, she reached the Top 50 in singles. In 2025, she rose to world No. 1 in doubles—becoming the 13th American woman and first mother to do so—powered by her Wimbledon title in 2024 with No. 1 Czech Siniakova.

Still, the 2025 New York drama sapped her energy.

She jetted off to play Billie Jean King Cup in Shenzhen, China, a few days after the US Open. She failed to qualify in Osaka in October and then didn’t play another tour-level singles match on the year, though she reached the doubles semifinals with Siniakova in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the WTA Finals in November.

“I was pretty emotionally drained,” she said.

She decided to recoup at her base in Atlanta, spent time with her son and family, and slowly ramped up for 2026.

Despite the sometimes tricky balance of playing singles, doubles and mixed doubles at majors, Taylor says physically she’s never felt better.

Now with singles behind her, defending her Australian Open doubles title and capturing a third major with Siniakova is the main goal. They expect to play through the season together, including all four majors.

After getting her first taste as a returning champion at Wimbledon last year, Townsend said she feels more relaxed this time around, less consumed by expectations, and more focused on producing her top level.

“I just want to play my best tennis,” she said. “And I know that if I can do that, that’s going to be very hard to beat us.”

She could also add a first mixed doubles major if things break her way.

Townsend hadn’t planned to play mixed when she arrived in Melbourne. A text from Croatia’s Nikola Mektic two hours before the tournament sign-in closed—and a chance to mix with the guys—changed her mind.

“I feel like I’m a bro,” laughed Townsend, who then, on cue, bumped fists with Mektic after their second-round win Sunday evening. The pair, seeded No. 4, next face Christian Harrison and Irina Khromacheva in the quarterfinals.

Townsend isn’t afraid to want more in all aspects of her career.

“I see myself as a tennis player, and I'm blessed and fortunate enough to be able to physically, mentally, and emotionally do all of it,” she said. “I really enjoy every aspect that each event gives to me and what it helps with my game.”

In a sport obsessed with shortcuts, Townsend has made a career out of the long way around.