Serena Williams Joins Coco Gauff and American Tennis Stars as Taylor Townsend Shares Unseen Moments From Her Special Day

Only a few get the luxury of calling Serena Williams both a competitor and also a friend. One with that boasting right is Taylor Townsend. Although their very first matchup was the 2014 US Open’s first round, when the then 18-year-old was swooped by the tennis legend, they had been friends for longer. Serena even hyped Tay’s playing style before the game as “the future of tennis,” while confirming that the two, “Are really good friends. We always talk and always text each other.” At the same time, Townsend has also always returned the favor.

One that specifically stands out today is Tay’s praise for Serena after the US Open loss: “I always admire her dresses because they’re cut so well for her body. I’ve worn a few and they look so good.” Then there was the bridesmaid shout out “Make up beat thanks to Wyn. @serenawilliams, you did your big one with this.” Taylor has also been on the receiving end of the praise as Williams has been her usual Instagram commenter-slash-praiser.

Remember the “Looking like a snack. What aisle you on?” compliment in Taylor’s 2024 holiday card post? Hence, keeping up with the friendship and the tradition of online commenting, Serena has returned to laud Townsend who just celebrated her 29th birthday. What’s best is, many more too joined to celebrate the Tennis icon’s special day.

Just a couple of moments ago, Taylor Townsend lit up IG with a carousel of two vibrant birthday bash photos, simply captioned with the playful, “Here’s to 29✨🎈🎂 May this year filled with wisdom, prosperity, and growth. Love ❤️👑”

Serena Williams, who joined the celebration, dropping a cryptic yet affectionate message: “Vintage 😝😝😝😝😂😂” Well, we can see why Serena said what she did. In the photo, Taylor is sitting on a wooden stool with a serious face and her legs crossed, certainly the pose takes us back to the 80s-90s when this was the go to. However, the very next photo showed her breaking her poker face and smiling joyfully in the grey bedazzled bodycon. The music attached to the post only made her message to the world louder: Mozzy’s Living Proof.

Coco Gauff chimed in with an excited “happy birthday ❤️❤️,” while fellow American and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys also jumped in, writing “Happy birthday boo ♥️” to mark the occasion. 

Taylor Townsend’s birthday celebration continued to draw warmth and love as Danielle Collins joined the wave of heartfelt messages with a sweet “Happy birthday ❤️,” while Naomi Osaka echoed the sentiment, adding an extra touch with “Happy birthday ❤️❤️❤️.” But the celebration didn’t stop with just online wishes.

One of the most touching highlights came when Townsend shared a heartfelt clip of herself cutting her birthday cake alongside her young son, Adyn Aubrey, on her social media. The moment, simple yet full of emotion, was captioned with a “😍❤️” emoji, capturing the joy she felt sharing the day with the one who means the most.

She later followed it up with a vibrant collage of party images posted on her stories, captioned, “It was an Amazing day! Thank you for all your love!!” expressing gratitude for the outpouring of love and the joy of the day.

But beyond the laughter and celebration, Townsend took a moment to reflect. This year seemed to bring a deeper realization.

Taylor Townsend reveals why not everyone deserves a seat at her table

Back in January, just before making history in Melbourne, Taylor Townsend opened up in an interview with Women’s Health, saying, “I’ve always had to prove to people that I’m playing well and that I look in shape. But now I don’t feel like I have to.” Her words came at a pivotal moment: she was on the verge of winning the doubles title in Melbourne with Katerina Siniaková, and she delivered. That win, following her Wimbledon triumph the previous season, marked her second straight Grand Slam doubles title, a powerful statement to those who doubted her abilities.

As a mother to a 4-year-old, the 29-year-old has come to embrace a deeper truth: focusing on yourself and tuning out irrelevant noise is the real path to success. Recently, she quietly underscored that mindset with a powerful message on social media. Sharing a quote by content creator Keith Allen, she highlighted what resonated with her journey: “The realest advice I can give you today is to let people earn their place in your life.”

She didn’t need to say much as a single “💎” spoke volumes. It echoed what she told Essence two months earlier: “You need to make sure that you are loved and that you also have people that you can lean on for guidance and direction because to think that we can do everything ourselves is ignorant.” And that’s exactly what Serena has done for Tay.

Remember when Williams stood up for Townsend back in 2020, fiercely defending her against criticism from the USTA which questioned her fitness on the tour? “She’s so sweet and she works so hard. For a female, particularly, in the United States, in particular, and African-American, to have to deal with that is unnecessary,”

Now, Taylor Townsend celebrates her birthday, proudly rising above criticism and adversity to win Grand Slam titles and earn a special place in the hearts of tennis fans and of course, Serena. As she takes a well-deserved break, let’s give her the spotlight she deserves! Happy Birthday, Taylor!