Taylor Townsend defeats Sloane Stephens in lively Atlanta Open exhibition match

Wimbledon doubles champion Taylor Townsend barely had time to recuperate after lifting the title in London last weekend, as she returned to the tennis courts to take on Sloane Stephens at the 2024 Atlanta Open Sunday Showdown exhibition match.

The American was not meant to compete at the annual event, but stepped in after Venus Williams withdrew due to an injury. Although Williams left big shoes to fill, Townsend was equal to the task, as she delighted the crowd during her 7-6 6-3 win over Stephens.

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Townsend and Stephens engage with crowd, banter on court

The exhibition match is often played with less intensity than a WTA tournament, with both ladies taking some time to showcase not just their tennis prowess but also their personalities. The American duo were vocal with the crowd, and often tried to outdo the other using various antics. At once point, each attempted to catch the other off guard by hitting a soft serve, and they even got the ball girl involved in a few points.

“I’m really excited and so blessed to be able to come home and be able to share this experience with my loved ones and family and friends,” Townsend said after the match. “And then do something like this. We don’t get to do this very often.
“We know that it’s serious, but at the same time it’s for entertainment. It’s kind of hard! At first, I was struggling to calibrate, to not hit too hard, not to hit too soft.

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"I wanted to make sure that the crowd felt engaged. I wanted to make sure that they felt us and that we’re having a good time and having fun and they can have fun with us. Tennis can be a very prissy sport where you have to be quiet and there’s etiquette and rules. So to be able to break out of that, it’s always nice and it’s fun.”