Taylor Townsend Triumphs Over Tatjana Maria at Mubadala Citi DC Open

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Taylor Townsend, a professional tennis player from Chicago, marked her return to action on Tuesday by defeating Tatjana Maria in straight sets at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

Townsend, currently ranked No. 97 in singles, won the match 6-4, 7-5. The matchup was especially notable as both athletes are mothers on the tour, with Townsend giving birth to her son, Adyn, in 2021.

In the second set, Townsend found herself in a comeback situation, trailing 4-0 before rallying to win six of the last seven games. This win propelled her into the second round of singles, where she will face sixth-seed Sofia Kenin. Kenin advanced by defeating Hailey Baptiste earlier on Tuesday.

“I think I did a really great job of managing her difficult style of play,” Townsend said post-match. “We don’t play a lot of players that play that way, who hit slices that consistently.” She went on to explain how she needed to rein in her play as she faced challenges in the second set.

Maria, a seasoned player and mother of two, had just come off an impressive run at the Queen’s Club where she defeated four Top 15 players. Despite her recent success, it was Townsend’s day in D.C.

Additionally, Townsend partnered with Zhang Shuai in the doubles event, where they also achieved victory against Cristina Bucsa and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, winning 6-3, 6-1. This win has set them up for a quarterfinal match against the veteran Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste.

“I honestly commend [Williams] so much for being out here,” Townsend remarked. “It was 92 degrees and she was doing [practice] 2-on-1s with some young guys. That’s why she’s a champion.” Townsend expressed that she aims to enjoy the upcoming match without any expectations.

Other results from Tuesday included qualifier Caroline Dolehide overcoming McCartney Kessler in a lengthy match, while Anna Kalinskaya edged past Kamilla Rakhimova to move forward in the tournament.