It did not take long for things to go pear-shaped for Taylor Townsend in the last few weeks. Having won the US Open doubles title along with Katerina Siniakova on September 11, the American was in a hospital bed for emergency surgery on September 16, while playing the Guadalajara Open. While Townsend provided regular hospital updates, she did not disclose the medical reason behind the procedure, something she has only shared in a recent interview.
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“Yeah, it was really scary. I was supposed to be playing at 5 o’clock last Wednesday, and I woke up at like 2.30 in the morning feeling like I was getting stabbed in my stomach, and I didn’t know what was happening,” said Townsend during the Good Morning America Show. “And I thought I had food poisoning or something, and I asked the physio to come to my room at about 7.30, and I’m like, guys, I need something for food poisoning, I have a match at 5, please help me…They do the ultrasound, it comes back that I have appendicitis, and my appendix was inflamed, and they were like, ” We have to do emergency surgery, like, ” We need to do the surgery. And I was just like, I’m there by myself, I call and see him, I’m like, I don’t want to do this, like, please, someone just get me home, I don’t want to do this here, like, I was just thinking about my son and everything, and it was just really, really scary.”
Having played the US Open, Townsend was back on the court as early as September 14, when she played her first-round match at the Guadalajara Open. Winning her opening round match against Tatjana Maria, the American was all set for a clash against top-seeded Marta Kostyuk on the following Wednesday, but in an unfortunate turn of events, she had to withdraw from the event due to a sudden medical emergency.
Townsend shared the news of her surgery on Instagram, but did not share the exact medical prognosis at that time. The American did not forget to reassure her fans after the appendectomy surgery was successful, as the US Open doubles champion shared post-op pictures of herself as well. Townsend shared how she had been fasting for almost thirty-six hours, which is a standard protocol after an emergency surgical procedure, with the American joking about disappearing into the bed due to the weight loss.
Appendicitis is not that uncommon among tennis players, and all players have made full recoveries after their respective surgeries. Back in 2021, Sofia Kenin had a similar issue after losing her second-round match at the Australian Open. However, it did not take long for the American to return to court after the surgery, as she was back in action at the Miami Open six weeks later.
As for Townsend, this is not the first time she has suffered from a medical mishap this season. During her Miami Open run, she suffered from a concussion and whiplash to her spine after a bad fall. The American did not take long to recover and start winning on the Tour, winning the doubles title at the French Open just over two months after her injury.
Given her recent Instagram updates, Townsend has already hit the road, starting to get back to full fitness in time to return to the Tour.
Taylor Townsend Starts Her Recovery Process After Her Surgery
Townsend has already hit the road, starting her recovery process. With her pet Doberman, Creed, by her side, the American shared a video of herself taking a mile-long walk, which is the first step in her recovery. She stated that she was physically fine and that it would not be long before she was back in full running mode.
“Day 1: one mile walk. It’s taking everything in me not to just start running, because I feel really good,” said Townsend on her Instagram story. “I know I can’t so I’m just gonna…”
Given that the ideal recovery time after an appendectomy is somewhere near six weeks, Townsend will most likely miss the WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan. While from a doubles point of view, Townsend will not be worried about dropping points, as she and Siniakova have already qualified for the WTA Finals and have won six titles this year.
As for her singles season, Townsend is currently ranked No. 92 on the live rankings, and should she miss most of the Asian swing, she could drop out of the Top 100. The American will hope for a few points at the end of the season to keep her ranking in the Top 100 to ensure a direct main-draw entry at the Australian Open next year. Townsend had a great season in singles as well in 2026, with the American reaching her maiden Tour-level final at the ATX Open.