"My bank account and Serena's bank account, very different" - Taylor Townsend speaks on her motivation to keep playing after becoming a mother

After picking up back-to-back doubles titles in Adelaide to start the year, American tennis player Taylor Townsend earned her first Slam singles win as a mom at the Australian Open, defeating France's Diane Parry 6-1 6-1 in the first round.

Townsend made a tearful promise to herself and her 2-year-son Adyn when she packed her bags in December to her long-haul flight to Australia. If she was going to leave him for a month to go to work, she better make it worth it.

Getting back on the road means going back to work for Townsend. Through her pregnancy and comeback, she has sought advice from Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, and Victoria Azarenka. As much as the notion of chasing dreams and glory and unfulfilled potential in sports can be a romantic ideal, Townsend is candid about the financial realities. The fact is, she needs to get back on tour to win matches and earn money, just like any other working mom.

"I want to enjoy being a mother. I want to understand my son. I don't want to feel the pressure of I have to play," said the 26-year old. "You have to take into consideration that the financial situation of everyone is different. My financial situation versus Kim's [Clijsters] financial situation versus Serena's versus Vika's, we're in different circles. By a certain time, I need to start playing so I can start making some money again. I need to start replenishing the pot."

Townsend said her success at the US Open in 2019 and 2020 gave her a financial cushion to take time off after Adyn was born.

"You can't be naïve to those things. My bank account and Serena's bank account, very different," Townsend said. "Even in that aspect of my comeback and going back on the road, I have a nanny. I have someone to be able to watch him, but I don't have the flexibility to be able to take someone else on the road all the time so that A.J. can travel with me.

"So it's just those ups and downs and sacrifices that I have to make for my personal situation, and hopefully as this year progresses, things can change."