Taylor Townsend surged into her maiden WTA singles final at the ATX Open, outlasting Ashlyn Krueger 7-6(6), 6-3 on Center Court in Austin. The victory marked a defining breakthrough in her singles journey. However, moments later, riding that emotional high, she delivered a bold message aimed squarely at her critics.

After the match at the ATX Open, Taylor Townsend spoke with emotion during her on-court interview. She addressed the criticism and noise she has faced in recent tournaments.

She said, “It’s been a journey, but you know I wouldn’t change it at all because all of those no’s were just delayed gratification for it, yes. And honestly, since having AJ and coming back, I’ve achieved history, and I know people say I’m the first mom to achieve it in doubles, but there hasn’t been a singles player to reach number one either.”

Later, she added, “So I’m really, really proud to be able to hold that history and I’m creating a legacy for myself and doing it my way like I said. And so, you know, honestly, everyone must talk sh*t, they got to eat their words. I’m still standing, I’m still here. I am not going anywhere and it’s only just going to get better from here.”

On court, Townsend let her racquet speak. She faced fellow American Ashlyn Krueger in a tense semifinal. The match tested both players from the first point.

Krueger started fast. She won 12 of the first 15 points and broke for a 3-0 lead. Townsend struggled early and trailed 1-4 after holding serve once.

Slowly, the momentum shifted. Townsend began striking the ball cleaner. She won three straight games to close the gap to 3-4.

Krueger served for the set at 5-4. Townsend answered with a sharp forehand pass and forced errors. From 1-4 down, she leveled the set after 10 games.

Krueger held on to force a tiebreak. Townsend raced to a 5-1 lead. Then nerves crept in, and she missed a key drop shot that could have given her a set point.

At 5-all, Townsend missed another chance at the net and faced a set point. She attacked the net again and saved it with courage. Soon after, she earned her own set point and sealed the 63-minute opener with a blistering backhand down the line.

In the second set, Townsend mixed spins and pace. She used low chip returns to disrupt Krueger’s rhythm. Her net skills and variety forced errors from the baseline.

She earned a break for 4-3 after drawing a mistake with a heavy return. Facing pressure in the next game, she saved a break point with a powerful two-handed backhand pass. She held for 5-3 and stayed in control.

Townsend capitalized on Krueger’s double fault to secure another break. She closed the match in one hour and 49 minutes. With a joyful leap, she celebrated her first WTA singles final.

Now, Townsend prepares to face Peyton Stearns in the final. Stearns defeated Kimberly Birrell 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to book her place. 

And singles are not her only target in Austin, as Taylor Townsend aims to script history at the ATX Open.

Taylor Townsend opens up after her son leaves Austin before the semi-final

Taylor Townsend enjoyed a special Saturday at the ATX Open. She reached her first WTA singles final. A few hours later, she also advanced to the doubles final.

Townsend teamed up with Storm Hunter as the No. 1 seeds. They defeated Cathy McNally and Kimberly Birrell 7-5, 6-4. It was another strong performance from the top-seeded pair.

Later, after her singles win, Townsend also opened up about an emotional moment. Her son, Adyn Aubrey, had to return home before her semifinal. That made the day even harder for her.

“Today was actually a really, really tough day for me,” Townsend said. “It was really emotional because I had to send my son back home, so this morning there was a lot of waterworks on both sides. It was a really tough morning, honestly.”

She continued, “I was actually really emotional, so I really tried to bring everything in, and I’m really proud of the way I was able to keep calm and keep my emotions in check. Those types of things give me strength. I’m really proud I can continue, and the job’s not done yet.”

Now, Townsend, who recently opened up about the reasons behind her coaching split, will compete for both titles on Sunday. In doubles, she and Hunter will face No. 3 seeds Eudice Chong and Liang En-Shuo.

In singles, she will meet Peyton Stearns in the final. Townsend previously defeated Stearns 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Cincinnati Open in 2022.

Townsend now stands on the brink of history. She has a chance to win both singles and doubles titles. The question remains whether she can finish the job and complete a memorable double in Austin.