‘Zero out of 10, do not recommend’: Inside Townsend’s Wimbledon celebration

The tears flowed freely for Taylor Townsend last month when finally, after so many near-misses, she paired with Katerina Siniakova to win her first Grand Slam title in doubles at Wimbledon.

Then, a few hours later, the champagne started to flow.

So how bad was the hangover?

“Which one?” Townsend cryptically asked before bursting into laughter.

“I hadn’t drank in so long and I don’t drink,” Townsend told WTA Insider. “Dining was closed and I had to do anti-doping blood and urine. So they drew blood, I peed in a cup and I’m drinking champagne.

“Oh my god, I was looped. I literally made a video: I was like, 0 out of 10. Don’t recommend drinking champagne after playing matches and on an empty stomach. This is terrible.”

Townsend posted her celebratory loopiness in an amusing and honest Instagram video, but deleted it after her manager caught wind of the gambit. But if you know anything about Taylor Townsend, you know this: she has no regrets.

“People had already seen it by the time I took it down, so I was just like, at this point I don’t even care,” Townsend said. “It was just such a genuine reaction.”

Genuine and well-earned. The 28-year-old American had fallen short in her first two major finals, both in heartbreaking fashion. The first came at the 2022 US Open final with Caty McNally, where the American duo led 6-3, 4-1 before losing to top seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Siniakova 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. Then came the 2023 French Open final, where they came within a handful of points of the title, but fell 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 to Hsieh Su-Wei and Elise Mertens.

Now with Siniakova by her side, Townsend got her major title on the grass at Wimbledon.

“The Champions’ Ball was very English, very posh,” Townsend said. “Pinkie up, all the things. Which is fine. It was the experience.”

Always honest, the Georgia native admitted it wasn’t exactly her scene.

“When I was in the room getting fitted for the dress and stuff, I was like get me out of here,” Townsend said. “I don’t like stuff like that, that environment. I’m a tomboy. Give me some sneakers.

“Now I know. Now I need to do it for singles so when I go up there for the dance, I’m going to talk to the person and say, look, you’re gonna let me lead and we’re going to do a two-step.”

Townsend took her doubles win streak to Washington D.C. last week, where she took home her second straight title, this time with Asia Muhammad. Her 11-match win streak ended this week in the second round of the National Bank Open where, paired with Sloane Stephens, the duo lost out to Giuliana Olmos and Jessica Pegula.

Townsend will play with Siniakova at the upcoming US Open. In news that will trigger nostalgia in long-time fans, she will pair with Donald Young in mixed doubles in what will be Young’s last tournament before officially retiring.

The two childhood friends grew up together in Chicago. Young’s father, Donald Sr., was Townsend’s first coach and she credits Donald Jr. for giving her the belief that she could pursue a life in professional tennis.

“It’s his last hurrah,” Townsend said. “He’s retiring so he asked me to play. I was like, you’re the reason I believed I could play any sort of pro tennis, because he’s the closest I was around to it. It would be an honor for me to play with you and share the court for you on your retirement. I had a lot of fun with Ben [Shelton] but this is a sentimental thing.

“I just saw him and he said he was training for this. And I said, ‘You better be.’

“I’m gonna show out, but I can’t carry the both of us.”