Taylor Townsend had one of the biggest nights of his career in Austin. The 27-year-old American reached her first WTA singles final at the ATX Open after defeating fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 7-6(6), 6-3 on Center Court. This was not just another victory. It was a moment that felt personal. After the match, she looked emotional, proud and ready to speak her truth. During her on-court interview, Taylor Townsend addressed critics who doubted her comeback after becoming a mother. She said, “It’s been a journey, but you know I wouldn’t change it at all because all these ‘no’s’ for it were delayed gratification, yes.” He added, “I’ve made history since AJ happened and came back.” She then delivered a strong message: “Everyone must speak out, they must follow through on their words. I’m still standing, I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere and can only get better from here.”
Taylor Townsend defeats Ashlyn Krueger at ATX Open to set up final showdown with Peyton Stearns
The start of the semi-finals was not easy for Townsend. Ashlyn Kruger had a strong performance and won 12 of the first 15 points. Soon, Townsend fell to 1-4. But gradually he regained his rhythm. She started hitting deep shots and moved forward with confidence. When Krueger served for the set at 5-4, Townsend remained calm and forced errors to level things up.Townsend leads 5–1 in the tiebreak. He lost his focus at some points but showed courage under pressure. After saving a set point, he finished the 63-minute opener with a strong backhand down the line. In the second set he mixed spin and used smart net play. She broke at 4-3, held serve and closed out the match in one hour and 49 minutes with a joyous leap.His day did not end here. Townsend also reached the doubles final with Storm Hunter. The top seeds defeated Kathy McNally and Kimberly Birrell 7–5, 6–4. Later, he shared that it was an emotional morning because his son, Adin Aubrey, had to go home before the semifinals. “Today was a really hard day for me,” she said. “There was a lot of fighting on both sides.”Now she prepares for a big Sunday. In singles, she will face Peyton Stearns, who defeated Kimberly Birrell in three sets. In doubles, Townsend and Hunter will face Eudice Chong and Liang En-shuo.Townsend is two wins away from a rare dual title in Austin. After everything she’s been through, she looks ready for this moment.