'I'm exactly where I need to be': In wake of painful loss, Townsend feels energized

After letting eight match points slip away against Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth round of the US Open, a disappointed-yet-energized Taylor Townsend is excited about where her game is and what the future holds.

She was so painfully close.

In one of the most memorable weeks of her career, Taylor Townsend was on the brink of reaching her first career Grand Slam singles quarterfinal.

How close was she? After pummeling Barbora Krejcikova 6-1 in the first set of their fourth-round match in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the American had eight match points in the second set -- seven of which came in one of the most thrilling, edge-of-your-seat tiebreaks in recent memory.

Over the course of over 25 minutes, with the 14,000-strong crowd in Armstrong rallying fiercely behind Townsend -- and watching the incredibly tense rallies with bated breath -- the two-time Grand Slam champion saved seven match points before closing it out 15-13.

She then took the next set 6-3 to move into the quarters in New York for the second time in her career.

Townsend burst into tears after the excruciatingly painful defeat, but after the match -- after she'd had a bit of time to process it -- she seemed grateful, motivated and ready to build on her momentum.

"I'm exactly where I need to be," the 29-year-old told reporters. "I said it in D.C. -- I was kind of inching there -- but I'm exactly where I need to be. I'm playing the tennis I need to play to be inside the top 20, top 10, to win a Grand Slam. She's a two-time Grand Slam champion. I have beaten a Grand Slam champion this tournament.

"So I have everything that I need, and it's just about getting the reps, keep putting myself in these types of positions. This hurts, but it's part of competition, it's part of sports. But I'm right where I need to be."

The Grand Slam champion that Townsend is referring to is Jelena Ostapenko, who she upset in the second round. There was a heated exchange at the net after the match, and Townsend handled herself with grace and confidence, earning the support of fellow players and fans. She followed that up with an even bigger upset, a straight sets win over fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, and tore the house down with a cool-as-can-be post-match interview in Arthur Ashe Stadium that cemented her as the darling of the tournament.

In Armstrong on Sunday, it was one of the most electric environments we've seen all tournament, and you could feel that something special was brewing. It wasn't meant to be for Townsend, but she knows she's not done.

"It just stings, because I literally gave everything," the doubles World No. 1 said. "She came up with some really, really great tennis in moments where she was down, and I thought I had it. But it's a part of sports. For me, I'm like, 'Damn, when is the next time I'm going to play a singles match?' I'm ready to go back again.

"I'm not done here. I have doubles tomorrow. I'm going to do everything that I can to hoist the trophy here. With that, I know I can do it, me and my partner have done it before. This is just motivating me to keep doing the things that I know I can do to be a champion. ... I'm going to use what happened today to just fuel me."

A two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, Townsend made the doubles final of the US Open with Caty McNally in 2022. (Interesting, they lost that final to Krejcikova and her countrywoman, Katerina Siniakova.)

Townsend, now partnering with Siniakova, will take on Yue Yuan and Camila Osorio in the Round of 16 on Monday.

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