Tennis

I need 26 minutes of your time

Ten toes down. Bring the smoke.

Courtney Nguyen

Courtney Nguyen

— 4 min read
I need 26 minutes of your time
Credit: Jimmie48

Step 1

Watch this:

Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko had a verbal confrontation after Townsend's win and Kris Budden asked Townsend about it afterwards

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) 2025-08-27T22:40:27.146Z

And this:

Video of the drama at the end of the Townsend-Ostapenko match. Penko really tried it

— The Body Serve (@thebodyserve.bsky.social) 2025-08-27T22:32:19.077Z

Step 2

Read these:

Step 3

Know this:

There is no rule in tennis that requires a player to apologize for a net-cord winner.

There is no rule in tennis that requires a player to start at the baseline during pre-match warmups.

Taylor Townsend always starts at the net. Everyone knows this.

Regardless of how the warm-up was conducted, Jelena Ostapenko raced out to a 3-0 lead and built a 5-3 lead.

Taylor Townsend came back and won the match 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the third round. The win was her second over Ostapenko, having defeated the Latvian outside of the United States last year on the hard courts of Toronto, 6-2, 6-1.

Step 4

Watch this phenomenal press conference:

Step 5

Marvel at the grace and poise of this young woman. She said her Round 2 dress, awash in flames along the hem, was inspired by the vision of a phoenix reborn.

"I was 15 years old and got denied to play in the main draw after being No.1 [Junior] in the world," Taylor said on ESPN, "and I've come back now and I'm No.1 in the world in doubles and I'm in the third round here. I'm doing the best that I've ever done in my entire career.

"So sometimes it seems like you're in the fire but sometimes you have to let your old self go to be reborn and that's what I feel has happened every since I had my son. So credit to him."

I remember covering Taylor back in her No.1 Junior days, she of the braces and the bow in her hair, the talented swashbuckling lefty who bamboozled her opponents with her net game and court sense. Everything about her was exciting. And then the ugliness intervened. And we never knew if we were going to get to see all that potential realized.

Now 29, a World No.1, a Grand Slam champion, a player who's reached the Top 50 in singles, and a fan favorite wherever she goes, you would forgive Taylor if she resented the sport, resented the people, resented the world that needlessly put her through the ringer.

Instead, she has never been anything but gracious and above it all, while always standing up for herself and doing it all her way. We don't deserve Taylor Townsend, but God Almighty are we lucky to have her.

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If you're unfamiliar – or just need a refresher – on her journey to now, here's your lore:

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