Taylor Townsend & Being Ready For The Moment

A brief case study on staying ready so you don't have to get ready.

Aug 30, 2025

Taylor Townsend didn’t just arrive at the 2025 US Open — she earned every step that brought her here. For years, she’s been working in the shadows, dominating in doubles, quietly collecting titles, staying focused even when the attention and brand deals went elsewhere.

Then this week happened. A statement win, a viral moment, and a flood of new fans reminded the world of one simple truth:

When preparation meets opportunity, everything shifts.

Be Great First — The Recognition Will Come

Let’s be real: Taylor has been that girl for a long time. She’s the No. 1 doubles player in the world, but for years, the recognition hasn’t matched the results. The brand deals didn’t roll in the way they should have. The media coverage often went to other names.

But here’s what she didn’t do: she didn’t fold. She didn’t chase headlines. She kept the main thing the main thing.

When she walked onto the court against Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the US Open, Taylor had already logged years of work behind the scenes. And when the moment finally came — when the spotlight turned her way — she was ready to deliver.

Her win wasn’t a fluke. It was the result of years of consistency, preparation, and staying locked in when no one was watching.

Key Takeaways for Athletes & Creatives:

Build before the spotlight: Chasing clout before building skill rarely works long-term.
Stay consistent: Your time will come if you keep showing up, even when the cameras don’t.
Results speak loudest: People can overlook you, but they can’t deny results forever.

Be Ready for the Moment — And Own It

What happened after the match added layers to the story. Ostapenko accused Taylor of being “uneducated and classless” because she didn’t apologize for a point where the ball hit the net cord.

Let’s name it: tennis has a long history of coded language and exclusion. For decades, Black players — especially Black American women — have been treated as outsiders in a sport they’ve dominated.

This year’s US Open celebrates Althea Gibson, the first Black player to break tennis’s color barrier in 1950. Yet moments like this remind us that those barriers didn’t disappear; they just look different now.

But Taylor didn’t shrink. She didn’t get defensive. She didn’t lose focus. She won.

And the world responded:

Over 180K new Instagram followers in 3 days
A third-round match moved to Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main stage
Another win that kept her story rolling

Taylor stayed 100% herself. She didn’t change her personality to fit anyone’s expectations — and when the moment came, she was ready for it.

Key Takeaways:

Preparation meets opportunity: The big stage isn’t the time to get ready — it’s the time to be ready.
Authenticity wins: Don’t twist yourself to fit someone else’s mold.
Block the noise: The critics will talk, but performance speaks louder.

Build Your Own Brand

After her Nike deal ended in 2017, Taylor didn’t sit around waiting for another big-name contract. She started designing her own kits — her own logos, her own style — even wearing store-bought clothes until her vision came together.

Today, she’s partnered with Ben Crump Law and Blue Owl, building sponsorship relationships that align with her story and her values. She turned herself into a brand, rather than waiting for someone else to hand her one.

That’s the blueprint:

Control your image.
Own your intellectual property.
Build partnerships that reflect your identity.

Taylor flipped the script from “waiting on deals” to “building her empire.”