Imagine winning your first trophy, with the adrenaline pumping and the joy overflowing, and then your coach takes that shiny trophy—and gets it smashed to the floor! Sounds like a nightmare, right? Well, for Taylor Townsend, this was a reality.
Townsend started playing tennis under the guidance of Donald Young Sr., who is the father of his mixed doubles partner, Donald Young. When she participated in the tournament called Little Mo, which was meant for kids, she could not take her eyes off the grand-sized runner-up trophy that she saw at the venue. The tournament was known for giving out big-sized trophies to the winners. Townsend spoke about the tournament in an interview in 2021 and the interview resurfaced today on X ahead of her mixed doubles final match.
“ In my head, I had already made it. I was just like, Oh my gosh, I get a big-a** trophy — that’s it,” Townsend said in the interview. She was around seven years old when she came second in the tournament. However, her coach was not happy at all. “ I played terrible and got second place. But then I came off the court….. and there was no high fives or nothing. Mr. Young wasn’t even cross, he was just, matter-of-fact, he looked at me and he was like, ‘You just wasted your time. You’re so happy to get that second-place trophy, you don’t even realize you should’ve won first place,” the WTA star said.
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Taylor Townsend on her doubles partner Donald Young and his father: “Back when I was first starting to take tennis seriously, around like seven years old, the most prestigious thing they had for my age group was this tournament called Little Mo….
They gave out the biggest… pic.twitter.com/0gbtGZwhvg
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) September 5, 2024
What’s your reaction?
Did Taylor Townsend’s story about losing her trophy make you mad? React!
For the unversed, Donald Young Sr, and his wife Ilona Young ran a tennis center in Atlanta, Georgia, where they trained several budding talents including Townsend. While the words of Young Sr. could have been enough to break the heart of any player, the coach added fuel to the fire with a tough decision as well. “Then he asks me to give him the trophy — and he hands it to Donald Jr., his son who’s with us. And he tells Donald Jr. to go out to the parking lot and smash it,” Young Jr. followed the instructions of his father and did the same.
Townsend further added, “ I remember just standing there, like….. mouth open. Mostly mad about losing my big-a** trophy, and about how Donald Jr. did me like that, more than learning any lesson really.” But growing up, Townsend realized the importance of the coach’s decision. She stated that she did not hold any grudge against him. “ It was about someone believing in me, and investing in me, and pushing me to be excellent.” But time has evolved drastically since then.
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Interestingly, Townsend also revealed that her motivation to win titles at a young age was none other than the person who smashed the trophy at the instructions of the coach, Donald Young Jr, now his mixed doubles partner.
What’s your perspective on:
Is tough love the best way to teach young athletes, or does it do more harm than good?
Have an interesting take? “ He’s the reason” – Taylor Townsend reveals special bond with Donald Young
From playing Monopoly together to playing the last tennis match of his career, Donald Young shared a close bond with Taylor Townsend from a young age. Besides Young’s father training Townsend to be a successful player, Townsend was motivated by Young Jr. as well.
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In an interview ahead of the mixed doubles final match at the US Open, Townsend said, “ He’s the reason that I felt like it was possible because I could do this. He’d come back after winning Junior Wimbledon or Junior Australian Open and I’m like, ‘Let me see your trophy, let me touch it ‘.”
Well, now Townsend is in a position to win a trophy together with Donald Young. But can they do it? Only time will tell. But they will surely be going the extra mile with their efforts, with the home crowd backing them as well.
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