Taylor Townsend says she simply put her phone down as soon as she got to her hotel room after the Jelena Ostapenko incident as the American didn't want to get distracted ahead of what was about to come next.
On Wednesday, Townsend – who is ranked at No. 1 in doubles but needed a main draw wildcard for the US Open singles event because of her ranking of No. 139 – got into an ugly incident with Ostapenko after beating the Latvian 7-5 6-1 and being accused of having "no education" and "no class." The dramatic moment made the headlines for all the wrong reasons and even led to some big names such as Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka condemning the 2017 French Open winner's behavior.
On Friday, Townsend returned to the court for her singles third-round match. This time, the home player impressed even more, upsetting No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva 7-5 6-2 to reach her second US Open singles round-of-16 spot.
Townsend: I put my phone down and turned the 'do not disturb' mode
"I had doubles the next day. So I had to get right back on the page, because at the end of the day, I would never allow any drama or anything on the outside to deter me from what my goal is when I step into the lines on the court. When I step into those gates, nothing that's happening on the outside matters," the American tennis player explained.
"I also really took the time to be intentional. To, like, shut it off. When I got to the hotel I said, 'OK, I'm done.' I put my phone down and I put it on 'do not disturb.' I stopped. In the morning I cut it off. So when it's time to do the job, it's time to do the job. And that's what I think is a testament to being professional, being able to block out what's on the outside and when you step in the lines you handle business."
Townsend will have a chance to clinch another big singles win when she takes on 2024 Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova. The American is also progressing nicely in the US Open doubles event as she and Katerina Siniakova won their opening match and play against Alycia Parks and Dayana Yastremska in the second round.
