Taylor Townsend into Australian Open as lucky loser after Markéta Vondroušová withdraws – The Athletic
Taylor Townsend, 29, captivated the New York crowd during her run to the fourth round of the U.S. Open last September. Frank Franklin II / Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia — Taylor Townsend will get a chance to build on her U.S. Open run at the first major of 2026, after getting into the Australian Open main draw as a lucky loser.
Townsend, who lost in the third round of qualifying to Australia’s Storm Hunter, will replace 2023 Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová, who has withdrawn with ongoing shoulder problems.
“I’m really sorry that I had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to ongoing shoulder issues. After everything I’ve been dealing with, I need to prioritize my health, even though this decision wasn’t easy. Thank you all for your understanding and support,” the Czech said in a statement shared by Tennis Australia.
Townsend, 29, captivated the New York crowd during her run to the fourth round of the U.S. Open last September. After an altercation with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, in which Ostapenko told Townsend that she had “no education” and “no class,” Townsend knocked out No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva before losing to two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejčíková in one of the matches of the tournament.
Ostapenko later apologized to Townsend in a statement on social media, but did not reference her by name.
Townsend was criticized later in the season for calling a traditional Chinese buffet served at a tournament in the country “crazy.” She also apologized.
For Vondroušová, the injury is another setback after a promising U.S. Open of her own. She reached the quarterfinals, recording a stunning win over 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina en route, but injured her leg during practice for her last-eight match against Aryna Sabalenka and had to pull out hours before it was scheduled to start.
Townsend will face Hailey Baptiste, also of the U.S., in the early hours of the morning Eastern time Sunday.
