Taylor Townsend had previously opened up about the struggles she faced while coming up on the WTA Tour. In a candid letter in 2021, she revealed her complicated history with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), claiming that she was denied a US Open wild card in 2012 due to her weight.
Townsend is currently in New York competing at the 2025 US Open and has reached the fourth round of the Grand Slam for the second time in her career.
What Did Taylor Townsend Reveal About Her History With USTA and US Open Wildcard Rejection?
In a piece she wrote for The Players’ Tribune in 2021, Townsend discussed the challenges she encountered as a Black athlete whose weight was frowned upon. She recalled that before the 2012 US Open, a USTA official informed her that she needed to undergo “eight weeks” of fitness training. This training block would result in her missing the opportunity to compete at the New York Slam, where she could have entered the main draw as a wild card, thanks to her Junior No. 1 status.
“It was an official from the USTA. They said, “Taylor, you need to come to Florida. We’re putting you on an eight-week block of fitness training. I didn’t even have to do the math. I heard “eight weeks” and my stomach just dropped. Eight weeks meant missing the U.S. Open,” Townsend said.
Despite facing questions about her weight, the doubles World No. 1 mentioned that she was still achieving results and winning junior Grand Slam titles.
“This wasn’t the first time my fitness had come up. But I was still getting results where it mattered most. 2012 Australian Open juniors in singles and doubles. 2012 Wimbledon juniors in doubles. I was still winning grand slams,” she continued.
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Townsend stated that being asked to undergo fitness training for eight weeks and, in turn, miss out on competing at the US Open was “frustrating.”
“It was frustrating!! Here I was, flying back to Florida to start my fitness “hiatus” — while all the other juniors I knew (girls I was ranked higher than) were on their way to New York to start getting ready for the Open,” she said.
The doubles World No. 1 revealed that after a health check-up, she learned that her blood work showed she was “anemic” and had been under severe “cardiovascular stress.” Discovering that her weight gain was not due to a lack of fitness but rather a health issue was a “relief” for her.
“I’d been under serious cardiovascular stress for who knows how long. I’d been playing sick. Figuring that out was scary….. but in a way, it was also a relief. It’s not a fitness thing. It’s a health thing,” Townsend added.
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After informing the USTA of her diagnosis, Townsend asserted that she was ready to compete in the US Open, but they still denied her a wild card, citing that her fitness levels were not up to par.
“They still said no. They couldn’t stop me from playing juniors (I’d qualified automatically with my ranking), but they were like, “Yeah….. no main draw. We’re not giving you a wild card. It’s like we told you: You’re simply not fit to play,”” Townsend claimed.
The doubles World No. 1 found it confusing and hurtful that the USTA remained firm in their “original decision.”
“I really trusted those people. At first, I really believed their “fit to play” stuff was about looking out for me. Once I got the diagnosis, I figured the original conversation about my fitness was over. So why is the USTA basically saying, Nah. We’re sticking with our original decision? It made no sense. And it hurt really bad,” she continued.
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Townsend said that being a Black 16-year-old girl making it to World No. 1 filled her with pride, and she hoped to be treated as a valued member of American tennis, but unfortunately, that was not the case.
“Sixteen years old, and getting to No. 1 in juniors as a Black girl from the South Side? I was so proud of that. Now I’ll be treated like a part of American tennis. Now I’ll be one of them. Doesn’t exactly work that way, though, does it?” she added.
The two-time doubles Grand Slam champion expressed her belief that America “hates fat Black women” and that it is “part of life” in the country. According to her, the USTA took away her “dream” of competing at the 2012 US Open because of this bias.
“It worked the way things usually work in a country that hates fat Black women. I don’t think that’s a controversial opinion, by the way. To me, America hating fat Black women — it’s just part of life. It’s in the culture. It’s in the health-care system. It’s everywhere. They punished me. They took away something I’d earned. I was fat, and I was Black, so they took away my dream,” she wrote in her 2021 letter.
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Although the USTA was able to deny her a wild card, they could not stop her from receiving funding. With help from her resources, Townsend disclosed that she made her way to New York to compete in the junior event.
“I knew the USTA could stop me from getting funding….. and they could stop me from getting a wild card into the main draw….. So I got some money together and paid my own way to New York. It was worth every penny. I still made the quarters in singles — and won in doubles,” Townsend added.
At the 2012 US Open girls’ singles, Townsend reached the quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Anett Kontaveit. In the doubles event, she partnered with compatriot Gabrielle Andrews, and together they defeated Belinda Bencic and Petra Uberalová in the final to win the title.
13 years after being denied a wild card to compete at the US Open, Taylor Townsend has taken the 2025 New York Major by storm. Ranked No. 139, the American, who hasn’t yet lost a set, began her campaign with a win against Antonia Ružić. She then beat Jelena Ostapenko and Mirra Andreeva to confirm a fourth-round match against Barbora Krejčíková.
Townsend is also competing in women’s doubles alongside partner Kateřina Siniaková. In this category she is chasing her third Grand Slam title after last year’s Wimbledon and this year’s Australian Open.
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