Taylor Townsend Makes Emotional Venus Williams Admission After Defeating Her at US Open

In the women’s doubles quarterfinals at the US Open, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova left no room for doubt, storming past Leylah Fernandez and the iconic Venus Williams with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory. For Williams, it was the closing chapter of her doubles run in New York. But for Townsend and Siniakova, the night carried a different kind of meaning. It was something that went beyond the scoreline. The legend had long been an inspiration, and Townsend made sure to put that feeling into words.

Following the match in the on-court interview, the reporter asked Townsend about her first memory of seeing Venus Williams play. With an age difference of 16 years, Townsend was still pretty young when she first saw Williams. She said, “Oh man! I mean, the earliest memory is obviously watching on TV, especially here at the US Open. I remember I loved her backout Reebok dress.” Yep! It was the dress, and not the game, that reeled Townsend into the world of tennis. But then came an emotional revelation. 

Taylor Townsend continued, “But growing up watching Venus and Serena had always been, you know, for me and my sister, it was an inspiration, and we really wanted to be like them when we grew up. And so, it’s an honor to be able to share the court with her today.” Even Siniakova seemed to have a similar feeling.

August 19, 2025, Flushing Meadows, New York, USA: Venus Williams in photo and Reilly Opelka during a mix doubles match against Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev at the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Tuesday August 19, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. JAVIER ROJAS/PI Flushing Meadows USA – ZUMAp124 20250819_zaa_p124_022 Copyright: xJavierxRojasx

When the reporter asked her what sharing the court with Venus Williams meant to her, she exclaimed, “Wow! I mean, it’s tough to describe it in words. It’s a privilege… I mean, she’s a legend. So, I really enjoy it.” And then, she proceeded to thank the New York crowd for creating a cheerful and entertaining atmosphere.   

But admiration wasn’t one-sided. Long before they stood across the net as doubles opponents, Venus Williams herself had words of praise for Taylor Townsend. It was a gesture that showed the respect flowed both ways.

Venus Williams showers praise for Taylor Townsend prior to their match at the US Open women’s doubles

You do remember the on-court altercation between Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko, right? It was a moment that engulfed the entire tennis community in a jiffy. After facing defeat at the hands of Townsend, the Latvian spat that her American opponent had “no education and no class.” Things were obviously not looking too good for Ostapenko, with multiple entities standing in support of Taylor Townsend. And one of them was Venus Williams. 

After beating Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi at the women’s doubles, Williams addressed the debacle involving Townsend and Ostapenko at the press conference. She said, “It was a lot of drama, and I thought Taylor handled it amazingly. I really did. I just thought, with her as a mom, how she handled it—her son will be watching. Her son is watching.” Williams continued, “She handled it with class, in a situation that was not so classy, and just moved on and won again. So, she’s handling it amazingly. I’m rooting for her. She’s a wonderful person, a great mom, and I hope she can keep going.”

Nevertheless, dust seems to have settled around Townsend and Ostapenko, with the latter having apologized for her conduct. But as long as the US Open is on, there’s every reason to expect drama. Don’t miss a beat? Visit EssentiallySports’ live blog  for minute-by-minute updates from Flushing Meadows.