By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, September 4, 2026
Photo credit: Rhea Nall/USTA/Getty
NEW YORK—On court, Taylor Townsend is a mix master who can confound opponents shifting spins and angles.
Today, the master of misdirection was refreshingly direct on court.
Applying all-court acumen, Townsend dispatched 15th-seeded Diana Schnaider 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3 to reach the US Open fourth round for the third time.
In her post-match interview on Court 17, birthday girl and US Open MC Blair Henley asked Townsend her feelings on facing two-time defending-champion Aryna Sabalenka for a quarterfinal spot.
The 30-year-old mom did not hold back.
“I’m fucking pumped!” an exuberant Townsend said. “I’m so excited. I feel like I thrive in these moments.
“I mean, I played Coco on Chatrier. I played Iga on center court…
“I’m ready to go. I’m ready to take it all in. I’m ready to go for it. I’ve played [Sabalenka] once, and I’m just really excited.
“I’m ready to go.”
Both singles world No. 1 Sabalenka and doubles world No. 2 Townsend are playing for massive major achievement in New York.
Sabalenka, who swept Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Court, is playing to become the first woman to three-peat at the US Open since Serena Williams 2012-2014.
The left-handed Townsend, a two-time US Open doubles finalist, is playing to complete the career doubles Grand Slam partnering doubles No. 1 Katerina Siniakova.
Can Townsend apply enough pressure moving forward to trouble Sabalenka?
The top seed said she expects an all-court battle vs. Townsend and American fans rooting her on.
“I think I’m ready for the crowd situation. She’s a great player,” Sabalenka said. “Coming back after having
a baby, that was amazing moment for her.
“She’s, I’d say, tricky player, because she brings the variety, comes to the net, really make you think during the game. Yeah, I’m pretty sure if it’s going to be her, it’s going to be a great battle.”
Last year, Townsend made history as the first mom to ever rise to world No. 1 seizing the doubles top spot.
Townsend, one of the best volleyers in the sport, showed her soft touch and sharp hands in the frontcourt winning 32 of 44 points at net, nearly one-third of her 106 total points won. Townsend needed all of her vast variety to find the finish line today. After squandering a 5-3 second-set lead, Townsend opened a 5-3 third-set lead and wrapped up 13th career US Open triumph.
After today’s inspired win over fellow lefty Shnaider, who toppled Sabalenka en route to the Roland Garros semifinals in June, Townsend sent a message to the skeptics who slammed her as “too big”, “too bold” and “too much of a finesse player” to ever make a an impact on the pro tour. In fact, some even criticized Townsend for starting pre-match warm-ups at net, despite the fact recreational players all over the nation do exactly that.
Thriving in a unique long-distance partnership with coach Roger Tyzzer, a fired-up Townsend is once again turning Flushing Meadows into a proving ground.
“We’ve been talking over the phone, and we have a very unique coaching situation, between him being in Australia and me being in Atlanta. We work remotely, and I have to get really creative with what we do,” Townsend siad of her coach. “It just felt really good because, like I said, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself coming into this.
“There was a lot of mental work that I had to do, and we did a lot of work on the court to just prove, like, “You’re good. You’ve got this.”
Townsend sent a blunt message to the detractors and doubters today: I’m standing strong playing this sport my way.
“For so many years—I turned pro when I was 15—and for so many years, people were telling me what I should be, how I should act and what I should look like,” Townsend said. “Now I’m able to stand here strong as a mother, No. 1 in doubles, creating history.
“I’m doing things my way, and I’m writing my own story.
“Honestly, I feel so good every time that I can step on here and accomplish these things and represent for the culture, for us. It means so much to me. So thank you, guys.”
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