“I cry many nights when I’m away from AJ, but I have to sacrifice now. I just pray it’s worthwhile,” Taylor Townsend once confessed earlier this year, opening up about the tough realities of tennis motherhood. Since welcoming Adyn on March 14, 2021, she’s done everything to merge her two worlds. The tour hardly lets up—relentless schedules demand constant travel—yet Townsend keeps rising. She captured the 2024 Wimbledon crown, rolled that momentum into a 2025 Australian Open victory, and added titles in Dubai and Washington. With her latest triumph, she finally reached world No.1! But someone’s not too sad to keep up the celebrations!

No time to rest for Taylor—after capturing the Mubadala Citi DC Open trophy, she’s already bound for Toronto. The National Bank Open awaits, and for the first time, she’ll take the court as the doubles World No.1. But before boarding her flight, she posted a heartfelt video on Instagram—the first hurdle wasn’t on the court, but at home. Little Adyn wasn’t thrilled about another goodbye.

In the video, Townsend scooped up her four-year-old, cradling him gently as she offered comfort. “I love you,” she repeated, while Adyn sniffled on her lap. She reassured him: “I’ll see you in a couple of days, okay? Are you a big boy? okay, stop crying, when you get down you got to be a big boy for Carrie too, okay? You gotta protect her, okay?” It was a tearful goodbye, but Townsend knows these tough moments are part of her journey to the top.

Taylor Townsend never hides the challenges of being a tennis mom. The ache of missing Adyn is real, but she faces it head on. Through her social media, she lets fans in on the snuggles, the toy dinosaur crafting, and the pure joy of a child’s smile—even when she’s juggling diapers and epic rallies.

Her determination shines bright. Keeping pace with life on tour and motherhood takes true grit, and Townsend wears her resilience proudly. In her own words, “Being a mother to AJ motivates me on different levels. Being a mom and just honestly, the strength and resilience that I have that I draw from knowing that the experience that I’m having and that I’m living is not normal.” 

Not to mention, her season hasn’t been as smooth sailing either. Townsend’s 2025 season took a tough hit with a severe concussion during the Miami Open doubles quarterfinals in March. This sidelined her for nearly ten days and forcing her to miss most of the European clay-court swing. Cleared to return just weeks before Roland Garros, Townsend bounced back impressively, even reaching the mixed doubles final.

How does she do it? As she said, “It takes so much strength to be able to leave your child for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time. So I draw from that. Being a mother to Adyn also has given me a large amount of accountability.”

Now, it’s just as tough for Taylor as it is for little Adyn every time they part. But when they’re together? The smiles and laughs flow. Adyn always finds a way to light up the room—just like his superstar mom.

Adyn cracks up Taylor Townsend and the crowd at Washington

On Saturday, Townsend and Zhang delivered a doubles masterclass, cruising past Dolehide and Kenin with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory in the final. After the match, Adyn, stole the spotlight during the winners’ speeches. At first quiet, little Adyn finally chimed in with a gem: “My mom had a good match… and a big dog.” The crowd at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center burst into laughter, and Taylor couldn’t help but crack up at her son’s unexpected wit.

The fun with Adyn didn’t stop there. Before the tournament even began, Townsend caught him in the player’s lounge, pretending to be a tournament admin behind a laptop. Sharing the moment on Instagram, she joked, “AJ already taking over admin at @mubadalacitidcopen 🤣.” However, the admin stint was short-lived—her next story showed Adyn fast asleep on her shoulder, with the perfect caption: “tennis-1, Adyn-0.”

Adyn has clearly evolved from travel buddy to Townsend’s biggest fan and motivation. Their tight bond shines through the highs and lows of the tour, mixing the chaos of tennis life with moments of pure joy and hilarity.

Now, as Townsend heads into the National Bank Open, the big question is: will she lock in and claim yet another title this season? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!