Taylor Townsend Stuns with Historic Upset at US Open 2025 – Match Highlights & What’s Next

Fans arriving at Flushing Meadows this week won’t just be looking for the usual head-liners; many will be watching Taylor Townsend, the 29-year-old Chicago native who has surged to No. 1 in the WTA doubles rankings and is quickly turning her renewed singles push into one of the standout comeback stories of the 2025 season. Townsend’s momentum started in Cincinnati, where she stunned world No. 18 Liudmila Samsonova for her first Top-20 singles victory of the year, a result that vaulted her into the U.S. Open main-draw conversation and reminded everyone of the all-court talent that made her a junior No. 1 a decade ago. In New York, her impact has already been felt on multiple courts. Teaming with Ben Shelton, Townsend opened the mixed-doubles draw by knocking off Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune in straight sets, electrifying the Ashe Stadium night crowd with deft net work and trademark left-handed angles. Although the American duo fell in a tightly contested quarter-final against compatriots Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison, Townsend left the court to a standing ovation, evidence of how firmly the home crowd has embraced her fearless style. What makes Townsend’s 2025 run even more compelling is the road she’s traveled. After giving birth to her son in 2021 and spending much of 2022 away from the tour, she returned with a renewed focus on fitness and an attacking brand of tennis that has proved just as effective in doubles as in singles. The payoff came in May, when she captured her first WTA 1000 doubles title of the season and climbed to the tour’s top spot—an achievement no American woman had managed since the prime of the Williams sisters. Townsend’s equipment has become a talking point, too. At this year’s Open she’s debuting a capsule line of adaptive tennis apparel designed in collaboration with a New York streetwear label, reflecting her aim to inspire athletes of all body types. The limited-edition pieces sold out online within hours, underscoring her growing cultural relevance beyond the baseline. On the singles side, Townsend’s first-round matchup is slated for Tuesday against rising Czech left-hander Linda Nosková. A victory would deliver her deepest singles run at the Open since 2014 and solidify her position just outside the Top 50, a ranking threshold that would guarantee direct entry into every major on next year’s calendar. With a booming lefty serve, silky volleys, and a narrative that blends perseverance, motherhood, and unapologetic self-expression, Taylor Townsend has become one of the tournament’s can’t-miss stories. Whether she lifts a trophy in doubles, charts a singles breakthrough, or simply continues to defy expectations, the buzz around her name is only expected to grow as the U.S. Open fortnight unfolds.