Drama at the US Open
Outsider succeeds in negative records
Updated on 01.09.2025 – 07:53 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Around US tennis player Taylor Townsend, there is plenty of drama in New York. First the scandal with an opponent causes a stir. Then she awards eight match balls.
After a matchball drama, the American tennis player Taylor Townsend missed her best Grand Slam result at the US Open. The outsider awarded the former Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejčíková from Czechs eight chances of winning and ultimately left 6: 1, 6: 7 (13:15), 3: 6 in the round of 16. After the end of the game, the 29-year-old hugged her opponent and sat on her chair before the tears came to her and she left the place.
“What a match,” said Krejčíková afterwards and had to collect himself first. “I enjoy the audience, even if it is not for me,” said the 29-year-old after her success against the American crowd favorite.
Krejčíková had defended a match ball 4: 5 in the second set, seven more came in the tiebreak. According to the organizers, no tennis professional had previously managed the feat in a US Open match to survive eight match balls against them. The two-time Grand Slam tournament winner then took her second chance to win the match for himself. Now the former top ten player meets Townsends US colleague Jessica Pegula.
The number one on the double world rankings is on the end, but only occupies world ranking place 139. In the second round of the Grand Slam tournament in New York, she was involved in a handshake. The former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko had complained after her departure against Townsend that her opponent had not apologized for a network roller at a very crucial moment. Townsend reported that Ostapenko insulted her in the course of the confrontation and certified her “no class and no education”.
The Latvian Ostapenko was subsequently exposed to allegations of racism. She has now apologized and explained her choice of words with a lack of knowledge of English. Townsend, in turn, surprised Mirra Andrejewa after the success of Ostapenko with the victory against the Russian world ranking fifth.