AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2023

Taylor Townsend

Press Conference

T. TOWNSEND/D. Parry

6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everyone. Taylor, tell us how you're feeling after a round one win.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I feel really good. It's great to be back. Haven't been back since 2020, so always love coming to Melbourne. It's one of my favorite cities.

And, yeah, felt really good coming off of a great two weeks in Adelaide. Even though it was doubles, played really well and always feels good to get a title. So I felt really good coming into my singles.

Yeah, just glad that I got more than a game (laughing).

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Taylor, congrats. Talking about the doubles success just early on in the season, how much did you think that that did help in terms of reps, in terms of match situation, all that, and how that translated today?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, doubles has always transferred a lot into my singles game. The goal for any player coming off of offseason is just, like, to get the matches. So it's always great, like, and really special to have two weeks in a row in Adelaide where you don't have to pick up your suitcase and pack and go to another city.

So for me it was great to be able to settle in and then just really grinding hard with, like, the reps. After losing in the quallies, just got on the practice court and practiced a lot and just tried to really hone in on what I wanted to do and how I wanted to play.

Then it transferred, you know, match after match in the doubles, which is great, so I knew I was on the right track. Just a matter of continuing to get those matches. I knew I was going to have another opportunity to come here and play singles. So I just put my head down and tried to execute on what we've been practicing, and it showed today.

Q. How different did you feel, like, from the singles matches in quallies in Adelaide compared to today?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I felt a lot different. I had a great offseason, but it was just really short. So it was a little bit tough. I just didn't feel like I had the match sets, and I think for me that's what's really important, to always play my best when I have, like, weeks in a row and kind of get the ball rolling.

So getting a chance to get those matches in Adelaide and continuing to, like, compete was really important for me. So, yeah, I definitely felt different today. I just felt a lot more calm. I felt like I was executing my shots. I felt like I was just really calm. Like, I just knew what I wanted to do, and I didn't feel like I had to press.

And I just felt like from start to finish I was in control of what I was doing. A couple of times she tried to change up the strategy, started serving a little bit different spots, but I was able to just maintain my composure and continue to execute.

So it was really great from my side. For my next match I want to start where I ended today and keep progressing.

Q. This is your first Grand Slam singles victory as a mom.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah.

Q. What significance do you attach to that, and how would you describe what these nearly now two years have been since your son was born?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: It's definitely -- I didn't think about that, but that's true. First Grand Slam singles win. It's great. Like I said, my offseason was really short, you know, playing Billie Jean King Cup, which was a great honor. I had a great time, but so late in the season.

So then I had scheduled the first vacation that I've ever taken ever in my life, so it was really important for me to kind of, like, have that personal time. So offseason was short, so I didn't really get a lot of time to spend with him where I didn't have anything to do but just us.

So when I left home, I was pretty sad. I'm sure you guys saw my Instagram thing where I was like, I'm going to miss you so much, crying and everything. You know, what I said in my post was, like, when I leave, it's incredibly important for me to make the times that I leave count. I talk to him, and before my matches I look at pictures and videos and just remind myself of, like, why I'm doing this and why I'm away, so it means something.

It really is special to make these moments count and to be able to show the ups and downs. Like, the way that my singles started in the match that I played, the first match of the season compared to this one, like, it just is in a short amount of time for me it just shows to continue to work and those results don't define you. You know, you just have to keep your head down and continue to push on.

I'm just trying to be the best example that I can for him both when he is with me and, you know, he is not here, but hopefully making him proud.

Q. Can I ask a quick follow-up? Can you tell us where the vacation was and for how long?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah. I took a really cool solo trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It was my first time. I've never played the tournament, so it was my first time in the Middle East, and I absolutely loved it. It was just great for me to get away in some random place. I stayed in a nice hotel and had some time to, like, really just reflect and be still.

It was really weird because I had ten days, but for the first five I was stressed out. Like, at 4:00 in the morning I was in the gym, like, I have to do something, and I realized, no, you don't. For the first five days I was stressed and, like, Oh, my God, I have to do something. I have to train. I have something to do.

But then when I realized I don't and it's okay not to do anything, and that's basically the whole point of vacation, like, then the last five I had, like, things planned and activities. So, like, really was able to just, like, settle in and have a great time.

You know, it was so relaxing, but it was also super rejuvenating mentally. I didn't realize because I've never taken a vacation before.

Any time that I have gone on a destination thing, it's always been for, like, tennis. So having personal time where you can just, like, mentally detach and, like, I didn't have A.J. with me, so really just, like reflect. It really made me realize how important that time is to be still so that you can really reflect and, like, figure out what you want.

And then I just was so clear going into my offseason, like, I wrote down my goals, and I wrote down -- showed my coach. I was, like, Yeah, I want to do this, this, this and that. It just gave me a sense of motivation to, like, you know, press on.

It was really cool, and I just felt super vitalized going into my offseason and even into this season. Like, I just feel great.

Q. When you are balancing professional and personal life and being a mother, did you seek advice from other players who have gone through that? If that's the case, what did they say to you, or is it a case of each person has a different experience? What was sort of the line there for you?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: It's both. So I'm a severe overthinker. If I get too much information, it's bad for me. I definitely did seek advice from Serena and Kim Clijsters gave me a lot of advice. She's so chill and so relaxed. She was, like, Just take your time. You know, enjoy it.

That was my plan anyway, but to hear -- she's really the OG person that started, like, having a baby and then coming back. Her advice was very important to me because, like, she did it and she lived it, and then came back better, won a slam and then bounced out (laughing). I think it's the best way to, like, do things.

Her advice was just, like, really enjoy being a mom, don't rush, and take your time because you don't want to come back, like, feeling pressure or anything like that. That was kind of like my mentality when I was coming back. I want to enjoy being a mother. I want to understand my son. I don't want to feel the pressure of, like, I have to play.

Also, you have to take into consideration, like, you know, financial situation of everyone is different. Like, my financial situation versus Kim's financial situation versus Serena's versus Vika's, we're in different circles. Sometimes you have the pressure of feeling as though, okay, for me I was, like, by a certain time, like, I need to start playing so I can start making some money again. I need to start replenishing the pot.

Fortunately, I did well in the 2020 US Open, so it kind of set me up. In 2019, US Open singles set me up to be able to take time off. But, you know, all of those factors matter. You can't be naive to those things. My bank account and Serena's bank account, very different (laughing).

Even in that aspect of my comeback and going back on the road, I have a nanny. I have someone that I have to be able to watch him, but, like, don't have the flexibility to be able to take someone else on the road all the time so that A.J. can travel with me. So it's just those ups and downs and sacrifices that I have to make for my personal situation, and hopefully as this year progresses things can change.

I'm very fortunate and very blessed to be able to have people around me. Honestly, I just have great people at home. His dad and my parents and godparents, and I'm very blessed to have great people around so that I don't have to worry.

I think that's been the biggest thing in terms of balancing, me being able to know that he is good at home and that I can fully focus on myself and not have to worry about what's happening at home. Like, I am here with you guys and being able to play great tennis and hit a ball over the net and inside of some lines and have a great time.

So, you know, I think having great people around takes the stress off, and I'm really blessed and fortunate to be able to have those people around me.

Q. Just going off of Courtney's question, you know, as you mentioned, it's different for tennis. There's moms as tennis players, but also just working moms, and kind of a lot of what you are saying seems to resonate with that a little bit about especially when I'm gone I need to make it count sort of thing.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah.

Q. Have you spoken outside of tennis? I know too much information can be bad, but about what stripping away the tennis life, what it's like and what it needs to be like for you as a mom?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, I actually did that during my maternity leave. I was in the middle of the pandemic, and I was, like, holy shit, what am I outside of playing tennis?

So kind of went through a little bit of identity crisis kind of (laughing). I was, like, man. Then started doing TV, started doing Tennis Channel. So just tried to find creative ways to, like, branch out, you know, and figure out what can I do outside of this sport?

And, fortunately, Tennis Channel gave me the opportunity, and it went really great. It actually helped me so much because it allowed me to be able to look at the game from a different way and kind of put myself back in the sport, but obviously from a distance and being objective versus, like, this is what I would do. Like nobody wants to hear that (laughing).

I really tried to -- it really helped me to be able to, like, stay engaged and look at the sport from a different way and more from an analytical point of view. So that was really helpful.

Yeah, it's tough when you are away from what you do normally. You kind of have to look and, you know, figure out who you are outside of this. Tennis, it's one of those sports where because it's an individual sport, you don't realize how much your identity is attached to, like, this world. It creates so much of, like, who you are because I've been playing this sport since I was 4, turned pro at 14, 15.

So you don't realize that so many of these years that you are in it, like, you're attached to it. So, like, having to kind of sever that tie and figure out who I am and what I want and who I want to be outside of the sport, I think it was really great for me because I have such a stronger sense of identity for myself.

I know that, like, whether I'm playing out here and I'm having a great time and hitting the ball over the net inside of those white lines or I'm not, I know that I can be someone and fulfill a great role and basically fulfill my potential in any kind of avenue that I decide to go in.

So I think for me in my personal journey I think it was really important. And, you know, my goal is just to try and inspire people and moms to show that, like, you can do whatever you want. Like, having a child doesn't stop you from hustling and grinding and just being great at whatever you want to do.