Chi-Town professional tennis player Taylor Townsend is adored for her hilarious celebrations during the 2023 US Open.
Instagram account, Tie Break Tens, a tennis-focused account, highlighted Townsend’s viral victory dance at a doubles match, where the 27-year-old mother flicked her wrists down and bounced with a mean mug. Her victory dance made her tennis partner, Ben Shelton, smile ear to ear.
Of course, the tennis player received hate, with haters calling her “low class” and “mediocre.” But the real ones called it like it was—the woman served!
“Black girl plays tennis and celebrates with a dance. She is being called ghetto and hated. The hypocrisy of some of you is just staggering.”
“Served and then served again.”
“Yes, sis, go ahead and serve him while your partner is smiling ear to ear.”
“I love seeing athletes have fun in their sport because they devote their lives to it ..keep expressing yourself and dancing; I’m dancing with you.”
“Whoever has a problem with what she did probably lives a boring life.”
“It seems like black people can’t simply enjoy a moment of fun in life. It’s sad that black people can only be seen as workers and not for enjoying the various things they like to do on any level… it’s crazy.”
Townsend’s viral moment happened on Sept. 4, 2023. Townsend and Shelton played against Dutch professional tennis player Demi Schuurs and her French doubles partner Hugo Nys at the 2023 US Open Quarterfinal mixed doubles match.
Towards the end of the match, with the scores being Townsend and Shelton at 40 and Schuurs and Nys at 15, Townsend assumed the serving position. After striking the tennis ball with her racket, she made the tennis ball bounce in the service area and pass her opponent.
At another point in the game, Townsend shocked Shelton with a move that sent his jaw to the floor. She stood behind him and did a shimmy dance.
The 27-year-old is no stranger to hate.
In 2012, then-15-year-old Townsend was a junior tennis player working hard to become the best tennis player when she made the news, but not because of her skills. According to her interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, her coaches and US Open officials told her to sit out one of the biggest tournaments in the sport because they thought she was overweight.
“I didn’t get a definite answer on why they didn’t want me to play. They just told me that they felt as though I should work on my fitness more,” the pro tennis player said.
She was named the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Junior World Champion that same year. Now, she’s a five-time doubles title holder who has won nearly $4 million in prize money in her tennis career.
