Eddie Murphy Raw days return: Townsend’s father-daughter trip to Cincy

By Grant Thompson

Father, coach, Uber driver, laundry attendant and more.

Taylor Townsend’s father, Gary, is wearing plenty of hats this week at the Cincinnati Open. The American lefty, who faces World No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the second round, has her father — a high school administrator — by her side.

“He’s taking his job seriously,” said Townsend. “Coach, Uber driver, laundry person, all the things. He gets the balls, calls the practice desk. He’s really taking his coaching thing to the next level.”

The father-daughter trip to the ‘Heart of Tennis’ has also given them a chance to reflect on how far Townsend has come. One unforgettable memory they share is a 2008 journey to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Taylor won the USTA G12s National Open.

“We were watching Eddie Murphy Raw in the car and in between matches, it was so fun,” she said with a laugh. “We found this hibachi spot that we went to every single day for lunch. I remember it like clockwork.”

Amid a seemingly never-ending travel schedule, there is rarely time to pause and reflect on those childhood days spent chasing a dream. For Chicago-born Townsend, now based in Atlanta, those beginnings on the USTA junior circuit gave way to the sport’s biggest stages.

“We reminisce on those times and I’m sure that — him sitting in the stands and watching me now, those thoughts go through his mind a lot,” reflected Townsend.

“Its good to have those conversations too, because it puts things in perspective, like you went from playing on the courts in the backyard, or at that park and now you’re here, at the Cincinnati Open and going to the US Open.”

The early-round draws this summer have not done Townsend any favors. She opened Roland Garros against defending champion Coco Gauff, then drew another defending champion, Iga Swiatek, in the first round of Wimbledon.

After a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory against Camila Osorio on Thursday, Townsend now faces another test in Rybakina, who this week can rise to No. 1 for the first time. It is exactly the kind of challenge Townsend embraces.

“I’m loving and enjoying those moments,” said the 30-year-old. “Every single time that I’ve had those experiences, it’s prepared me for the next one. When I played Coco, when I played Iga, I was pumped. I wasn’t nervous at all. I was just super excited for the opportunity and the experience. This is going to be the same.”

Townsend’s run to the third round in Cincinnati in 2024 helped propel her to a career-high No. 46. On the doubles court, she has climbed to No. 1 and lifted three major titles alongside Katerina Siniakova, including a title run at this year’s Roland Garros.

But don’t label Townsend as a ‘doubles specialist’, she made clear in Cincinnati last year: “I’m a tennis player. I’m a phenomenal tennis player.” Her stance hasn’t changed. “[People] can try to categorize me however they want, I don’t subscribe to it,” she added Thursday.

Partnering ATP star Alexander Zverev at the US Open mixed doubles event in two weeks, Townsend enjoys competing in front of a home crowd, and will look to rely on that type of support against Rybakina.

Being in this part of the country also makes home a little closer. After Toronto, Townsend made a two-day stop at home. She took her five-year-old son, AJ, to his first day of kindergarten.

“I missed all of those moments last year. This year, I missed his birthday,” said Townsend, who won the Indian Wells doubles title with Siniakova on AJ’s birthday and dedicated the title to him.

“If I’m able to squeeze in any time at home where I could just sleep in my bed and have those moments, I try to take full advantage.”

Townsend will aim for the highest-ranked win of her career when she takes on Rybakina.

“I feel really confident in what I’m doing,” she said. “I’m just going to give it my best shot.”