You probably saw the clips or at least tuned in to the finals of this year’s US Open,
because that’s when tennis gets exciting. You have to agree, Serena winning another title is well worth it. And on the men’s side, the battle of Djokovic and Murray was the most intense match of the entire tournament.
Ok, enough about the finals; I wanted to introduce you to a notable junior player at this year’s Open. A player who has been working hard in all the tournaments she has been entering, even bringing home the wins beginning with the Australian Open, then Wimbledon, and now the US Open.
The Number 1-ranked junior player
If you have not heard of 16 year-old Taylor Townsend, I am sure you will soon enough. She is well on her way to becoming a top US contender. She has an impressive record brewing; from the junior, singles champ at the Australian Open and also a doubles victory at Wimbledon. She has raked up the points to make her number 1 in the world.
This year she planned to test the waters and play with the professionals, but because of formalities, was denied a chance for a wild-card spot by the USTA. Instead of getting bitter about not making the main draw, she decided to give it her all once again on the junior circuit. She came out on top with another doubles victory and made it to the quarterfinals in singles.
Townsend, is the type of player who is working her hardest and giving her all to the game of tennis. Even though she is young she is completely dedicated to competing and making her game even more advanced for her age. Some will say she is being prepped to be the new generation of tennis in the US; if this is the case she is doing her best to stay on top of her training and make the most of each tournament she is attending.
Here are three things you can take away from Taylor’s rise:
- She is doing all she can to get the experience of playing with the professionals while still only a junior competitor.
- She is not afraid to lose to a fellow competitor; she knows there are going to be many losses once she is able to play with the pros.
- She takes playing seriously and has given up a lot of what a typical high school athlete would be doing at this time because she is training for many more hours than other junior players.
Townsend is getting ready for something major; she must decide if she wants to go the college route in two more years or if she will turn professional. As a recruit, you are not that much different from Taylor. High school is the time where all recruits, need to get busy making sure they want to pursue the college-athlete lifestyle. Take some tips from Taylor and start making your sports resume stand out.
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