Tennis isn’t just about rallies and rankings; it’s a full-blown grind off the court, too. It’s long-haul flights, time zone roulette, and the kind of hotel chaos that makes even seasoned pros wonder how they’re still standing. Taylor Townsend put it best: “Me trying to keep my s— together after 7 weeks on the road, 5 countries, and 5 time zones.” The American is currently in Canada for the Montreal Open, but her stay took a turn when a hotel nightmare kept her wide awake.

Townsend was just crowned as the WTA World No. 1 in doubles. The 29-year-old reached the milestone at the Washington Open, where she only needed to make the semifinals to secure the top spot. She went one better. Instead of just qualifying, she won the whole thing. Teaming up with Zhang Shuai for the first time, Townsend stormed to her third doubles title of the year. That includes her previous wins at the Australian Open and Dubai 1000.

Now, the American is back on court in Montreal, where she’s into the quarterfinals. She’ll be facing the duo of Chan Hao-ching and Jiang Xinyu in her next match, carrying the momentum of her red-hot summer run. Before she could focus on her quarterfinal match, Townsend found herself dealing with a nightmare. An alarm went off inside her hotel room and didn’t stop for hours. Sharing her frustration on her Instagram Story, she posted a clip of herself with a blaring sound in the background. “Bro this has been going since 4:30 am… I’m blowed 🤯,” she wrote.

It’s not the first time a player’s pre-match rest has gone up in smoke. Just ask Naomi Osaka. The four-time Grand Slam champion had a similar ordeal at the Canadian Open, where a hotel fire alarm had her rushing down 12 flights of stairs in the middle of the night. “POV: it’s the night before your match and the fire alarm tells you to evacuate so you grab your passport and go down 12 flights of stairs lol,” Osaka shared on her social media.

Despite all this chaos, players like Townsend and Osaka still manage to show up and compete at the highest level. And for them, the challenges don’t end with tennis. They are also full-time moms making history.

Taylor Townsend makes history as a mother

Taylor Townsend just made history this week, becoming the first mother to be crowned WTA World No. 1 in doubles. At her post-match press conference in D.C., Townsend broke down in tears while reflecting on her journey. “This is the most satisfying journey I think I could’ve ever had,” she said. “I’ve accomplished more after becoming a mom than I ever did before.”

The numbers back it up. Since returning to the tour in 2022, just a year after giving birth to her son Adyn Aubrey, she has reached the quarterfinals or better at the majors nine times in women’s doubles. That’s up from just two before she became a mom.

Along the way, she’s also picked up two Grand Slam titles and multiple Masters 1000 trophies. It’s a run that speaks to more than just talent; it’s about grit. Townsend has always been open about how motherhood drives her. In an earlier interview, she said, “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. And it’s something that takes so much strength. 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.“

Through sleepless nights, lost luggage, and even hotel alarms, Townsend keeps showing up, stronger every time. How far do you think she can go this season?