Tennis News You Can Use
Last week women’s professional tennis player Taylor Townsend released an essay titled “You Ain’t Never Been No Little Girl, Taylor Townsend” on The Players’ Tribune. It is a powerful account of her personal journey in tennis. The essay also provides some insight into the machinations of the USTA Player Development Program when Townsend was a rising junior. It also reflects less than positively on the culture of the USTA encapsulated by the Player Development Program.
I previously touched on this topic almost a year ago when I was working through a book by Dennis Ralston and was contemplating my own level of fitness. I observed that using body appearance and weight as a proxy for fitness is fraught with peril.
As another point of reference, I am horrified at the way the USTA treated Taylor Townsend in 2012. Despite the fact that she the #1 ranked junior in the world, the USTA withheld funding for travel to the 2012 US Girls 18s Nationals and the US Open. Additionally, they also rejected her petitions for wildcards into the main draw and qualifying.
The reason? The USTA coaches wanted her to lose weight. The USTA coaches unilaterally decided that the appearance of her body was a better indication of her fitness than the exhibited levels of fitness on the court. To make matters worse, Taylor Townsend was 16 years old at the time.
Excerpt from “Six Weeks to a Better Level of Tennis: Week 4, posted June 21, 2020.
After reading Townsend’s account of that episode, “horrified” remains the right word to capture my visceral reaction. It is extremely powerful to view those events through the eyes of a 16 year old. The “Diversity and Inclusion” initiatives at the USTA are in place for a reason. The USTA also has a “Safe Play” program involving training and reporting requirements of abusive behavior. Sadly, Townsend’s account illustrates the necessity of that program.
“You Ain’t Never Been No Little Girl, Taylor Townsend” is an essay everybody should read.
- You Ain’t Never Been No Little Girl, Taylor Townsend, Taylor Townsend, The Players’ Tribune, June 8, 2021
- USTA Diversity and Inclusion, USTA Landing Page, last viewed June 9, 2021.
- USTA Safe Play, USTA Landing Page, last viewed June 9, 2021.
