Tennis star Taylor Townsend shares how US Open reshaped confidence, viral post-match moment, reveals deeply personal rise in the sport, navigating body shaming, motherhood, reclaiming power, handling disrespect, and Serena & Venus unexpected help

“It’s been so gratifying, not just the accolades but how I’ve been able to show up. Learning how to love myself, learning what my voice is, and being able to trust that, stand tall and stand true in that it’s enough.” Taylor Townsend on evolving 

Taylor Townsend Joins The Pivot Podcast for an exclusive, deeply personal and powerful conversation after her 2025 US Open breakthrough. Days after captivating fans with her deep run and emotional performances at the 2025 US Open, American tennis star Taylor sat down with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder for one of the most heartfelt and unfiltered interviews in the show’s recent history.

The episode opens with the hosts giving Townsend her flowers, celebrating not just her performance on the court—where she reached the fourth round in electrifying fashion—but also her unapologetic authenticity, her resilience, and her long road back to center stage. From the jump, Townsend came through with that signature mix of grace and grit.

“I’ve started setting goals and not being afraid of failure…I finally get to be myself and not hide from who I am,” Townsend said, reflecting on her resurgence.

Over the course of the hour-long conversation, Townsend opened up about her heated post-match altercation with Jelena Ostapenko, breaking her silence and addressing the viral moment head-on, being proud that she used her words to control her emotions and how she stood firm on not tolerating disrespect, as her father raised them not to be punks but also to always stand up for themselves which led Taylor to telling Jelena- “Don’t ever put your finger in my face again.” 

Taylor continues to open up with her childhood dreams, looking up to Serena and Venus and how despite being competitors, Serena took her under wing when she was pregnant and helped prepare her for this gratifying yet extremely difficult journey. Her battles with body image and bias in the sport, especially how early narratives in her career tried to box her in and tell her she could never excel in a sport that wouldn’t accept her certain stature and build. Sharing how she lost 95 pounds in 10 months coming back after pregnancy but that motherhood and identity have impacted her life in meaningful ways. Revealing intimate details about balancing elite competition with raising her son, Adyn, which she credits to teaching her what true love and sacrifice is as she opens up on the mental side of her journey, including moments of doubt, therapy, and the role of her support system. 

One of the most powerful moments came near the end, when Townsend addressed she’s been on the pro tour for 13 years and been hiding for twelve of them and is now finally able to show up as herself.Taylor points to her recent loss as her most pivotal moment, in a place where her career is going to skyrocket, with her confidence, faith and motivation higher than ever. The conversation flowed like family catching up, as Taylor made the joke she felt like she was sitting with her uncles with Channing bringing the laughs, Ryan dropping wisdom, and Fred reflecting on what it means to carry a legacy in a sport that hasn’t always been built for athletes like Townsend.

The episode has a lot to unpack, filled with many viral moments, drawing praise from across the sports world for Townsend’s honesty, charisma, and unshakable sense of self. 

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