TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 30th of May 2014. C. Suarez-Navarro d. T. Townsend 6-2, 6-2. An interview with Taylor Townsend
Q. How would you reflect on your week in Paris?
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I think it was an amazing week. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Well, a win would have been better.
But I really learned a lot this week. I’m so happy and so fortunate that I had this opportunity, and I earned this opportunity.
I’m just looking to go to the next tournament, learn from my mistakes here. And I’m excited to get on the grass.
Q. Could you talk about just over the past months, over the past year or so, how your game has improved. You seem to have really stepped up.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I have just been working a lot on my mental game. I haven’t changed much in my game at all.
I have just really learned how to play the game. I have become more of a student of the game, and my coaches have really helped me understand about the game of tennis.
Having Zina in my corner really has helped me a lot, because she has played and done all of this. So it’s a lot easier for me to kind of listen and grasp it, because she’s done this.
I mean, I’m just learning how to be a student of the game and learning how to play and embracing my strengths and trying to strengthen my weaknesses.
Q. First Grand Slam main draw of your life. Sum it up for us. Most fun you’ve ever had? Give us something about it.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, it’s the most fun I’ve had (smiling).
I have had a really good time just embracing the moments and, you know, the pressure and everything. It’s awesome. I really had a great time and experiencing this. And, I mean, I couldn’t asked for a better first Grand Slam and a better opportunity to show the world what I can do.
So, I mean, I have had a great time and I’m really looking forward to the next couple of tournaments.
Q. Even some of the French fans were chanting your name. Did you hear that? What do you think about that? What’s it like being on a bigger stage like that?
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, it’s nice now that people are cheering my name, because they were cheering the other girl’s name (laughter).
It was nice to have that support, especially here. The people are so supportive, and I really have had a great time playing in front of them.
I did realize that I do like big stages, I like big courts, I like playing in front of a lot of people, so that’s good.
But I really enjoyed it. I’m really glad the people embraced me and were cheering for me today.
Q. You mentioned a few times this week about how you learned to believe in yourself and your talents and whatever. Had you gone through a period where you were doubting that a little bit or wondering whether you turned pro too soon? You seem very into that point.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I wouldn’t say I was doubting I was turning pro too early. I mean, I think I did it at the perfect time.
But like anything, going from one level to the next is not an easy task at all. There are a lot of things I had to learn. There are a lot of things I had to learn about myself. There were a lot of things I had to learn about the game that I didn’t know and that I wouldn’t have known, just because I hadn’t been playing pro tournaments and I hadn’t been on the tour and I hadn’t played against people like this and on this level.
So it was new. But there was a point in time I mean, I just really had to kind of learn about my game and how to work it and how to use it and play on this level, because it’s totally different than juniors. So I think that that was not so much doubting myself, but just believing in what I could do and that I can compete on this level.
Q. Can you tell us something about your background? What tennis means for you in your life? How difficult maybe was it to get to this level where you are now and how good it is to be here now?
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah. Tennis means the world to me. I mean, it’s helped me through a lot of situations, tough times, good times, bad times in my life. But tennis has always kind of been my backboard. That has really just been there. I can just go play and spend hours on the court and do whatever.
But, I mean, getting here, it’s been a long road. It’s been a tough road. But I have learned a lot about myself, and, I mean, as a person. That’s kind of translated on the court and learned about myself both as a person and a player.
I really embrace that. It means the world to me to be here, just the fact that I said that it feels different, that I earned the right to be here. I earned the wildcard through my hard work and through my sweat and, you know, ups and downs in the matches. And I was faced two match points down in the semifinals I had to win that match in order to get the wildcard.
Just tons of things going through my head there. It’s a different level. But I had to do it.
It means the world for me to be here, and to have this opportunity and capitalize on it, and I’m looking forward to it continuing in the future, and hopefully I can keep this going.
Q. You mentioned the expenses. Just how expensive is it coming up from through the junior ranks? What’s it like when you actually begin to make money to help pay off that?
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, it’s tough. I knew the pro circuit would be more expensive just because, you know, you have to travel. I mean, tennis is an expensive sport. You have to travel, you have to get racquets, you have equipment, you have a lot of things that you have to upkeep.
Well, also, you have to get to the tournaments, you have to get food. There are just a lot of expenses that you have.
That’s been since we have been playing National Open, I know it’s a different level, but it’s still expensive for anybody.
When I first started making money, I was like, Whoa, that’s mine? I was excited. My mom was like, No, no, no, (laughter).
But it was interesting, but, I mean, I’m really glad that I’m able to kind of learn about all of this stuff. And also, with just being young and making my own money, it’s like something you have to grasp, but at the same time, it’s through my hard work. So it’s like, Taylor, you earned this.
Embrace it but at the same time be smart with it and understand that a lot of it is going back into your tennis, so you can continue to travel and do the things that you need to do to make it to where you want to go so I can make more money.
