Taylor Townsend Breaks Barriers: First Mother to Top Doubles Rankings

Taylor Townsend Made history in tennis during the D.C. Open this past weekend. The 29-year-old player achieved a milestone as the first mother in women's tennis to attain the WTA World No. 1 rank in doubles.

Her ascent to the pinnacle was confirmed when she and her partner Shuai Zhang reached the finals of the WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington. "This is the most fulfilling path that I believe I could have taken," Townsend said. said after her press conference following the match.

Successfully reaching number one after having my son, and experiencing various challenges along the way, has allowed me to achieve the status of a two-time Grand Slam winner, win Masters 1000 titles, and accomplish feats I hadn’t achieved prior to becoming a father — I believe this makes it the most incredible.

Coming back to top-tier tennis following the birth of her child in 2021 presented difficulties, as she needed to balance parenting responsibilities with her athletic career. However, she remained committed to returning, and ultimately succeeded.

These past four years have been - actually just three, since I returned in 2022 and didn't complete a full season," she said. "So, essentially, this is my third full season back on the tour since having AJ, and achieving this in three years is truly amazing.

This recent accomplishment places Townsend as the 50th individual to attain the top position in the WTA doubles ranking, dating back to their inception on September 10, 1984. Additionally, she joins the ranks of the 13 American players who have reached this milestone, following names such as Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Gigi Fernandez, Lindsay Davenport, Corina Morariu, Lisa Raymond, Liezel Huber, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula, according to Tennis.com.

It seems like a dream and undoubtedly one of the high points of my professional journey," Townsend said to the WTA. "I enjoyed seeing doubles matches, particularly those featuring Martina Navratilova, and it's a tremendous privilege to be part of the group of remarkable athletes who have achieved the No. 1 position.

Townsend has certainly created quite a stir in the sport within the last year. In addition to capturing last year's DC Open trophy alongside Asia Muhammad, she also secured the Australian Open women's doubles crown with Siniakova. This professional athlete and mom additionally claimed victory at the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Furthermore, she and Siniakova advanced to the final of the WTA Finals Riyadh.

Tennis professionals and supporters have continued to praise Townsend for her accomplishment. "It's really impressive," remarked Coco Gauff. "I've known Taylor for a very long time, and I'm always cheering for her. I was genuinely pleased to watch her perform, and I've always viewed her as one of the top doubles players—right up there with [Katerina] Siniakova. It's fantastic to witness this ranking reflect how many important players regard her. She has earned everything."

By age 19, Townsend, who was born in Chicago, secured the top ranking among juniors in 2012 and claimed victory in both singles and doubles at the Australian Open junior event.