Taylor Townsend Will “Absolutely Not” Ask Other Tennis Pros For Advice

Taylor Townsend is steadily moving closer to her goals — in February 2025, the tennis pro reached a career-high ranking of No. 2 worldwide in doubles — but she’s nowhere near satisfied. “I believe in manifesting heavily,” the 28-year-old says. “My goal for 2025 is to win the singles and doubles in the U.S. Open. I had a really, really vivid daydream about it a couple of days ago. I believe in it, and it scares me to say it, but I’m putting it out there. Let’s see what happens.”

She has a little more than four months between now and the tournament in late August — we’re chatting in early April on the heels of the Miami Open. The Chicago native has a lot to do in the interim, including preparing for on-the-road matches and taking care of her 4-year-old son, Adyn.

With her hectic schedule, Townsend makes the most of her me time — whether that’s meditating on game days or embracing the luxuries of an everything shower. This season, she upgraded her shaving routine after partnering with Gillette Venus, the official razor of the Women’s Tennis Association. “I have their pubic hair and skin razor, which is amazing because we wear little tiny skirts,” she says. “It doesn’t cause razor bumps or irritation, which is phenomenal. That’s not something you want to worry about when you’re playing.”

Here, Townsend discusses all of her go-to products as a late-bloomer “skin care girlie” — plus, how she’s let go of her “toxic” relationship with tennis.

Elite Daily: Can you walk me through your pre-match routine?

Taylor Townsend: I still get nervous. When I’m on the road, there aren’t that many things that I do for myself, and my routine honestly depends on what’s thrown at me. Sometimes I have my son, and I have to be a mom before matches. Other times, I’m by myself. Those days, I just relax, meditate, and try to stay out of my own head.

I have a pre-game-day ritual where I literally go head to toe. I wash and do my hair, do a facial, cleanse, exfoliate, shave my whole body, all the things.

ED: How do you recharge after a match?

TT: Physical recovery is usually first. After a match, I get on the bike and have my recovery shake, and my coach and I will talk about whatever happened. After losses, my coach gives me three minutes to sulk. That’s my time to feel whatever I want to feel. Even when I win, it’s three minutes to be in my feelings. After that, we get back to, “OK, what do we need to do?” It’s very solution-focused.

Then I stretch, cool down, shower, get clean, smell good, and fuel up. Tennis is unlike any other sport because it’s back to back to back. There are some times when I’m playing two matches a day. That’s why it’s super important to mentally unload. You don’t want to carry that stuff into the next match.

ED: You wrote for Women’s Health about previously having a “toxic” relationship with tennis. How has that changed?

TT: It’s gotten a lot healthier since having my son. Becoming a mother and fully immersing myself in that made me realize there is something bigger than tennis. It also allowed me to create a new level of love and appreciation for the sport.

Since I was 4, I’ve been playing tennis, and my identity became wrapped up in it. It’s a lot better now that I found balance. I’m enjoying the journey more.

ED: In what ways are you still working on keeping things balanced, not “toxic”?

TT: Now, if anything, the toxicity lies within expectations that I impose on myself. I was on a severe losing streak at the beginning of the year, so that was really difficult for me to deal with. But I told myself, “You have to trust the process and keep going.”

I’m working on managing the expectations and goals that I have for myself. It’s also about realizing that I’m not in control of how quickly things happen.

ED: Do you go to any fellow tennis players for advice?

TT: Absolutely not. Some people do; I just don’t.

I don’t really have a lot of tennis friends. I like to keep my circles separate. There are a lot of people in the tennis world that I like, but I don’t talk to them. I don’t know if it’s a good thing, but it’s how I was raised. It was always “No, I’m competing.” Now that I’m older, I’m better at differentiating between “I like you as a person, but when we’re on the court I’m trying to rip your head off.”

ED: Where do you get advice?

TT: I talk to my coach a ton. I’ve constructed a great team around me that I can lean on. We operate person first, tennis player second. I have open and honest conversations with my coach — more often than not, about things that aren’t even related to tennis.

ED: What are the essentials in your beauty routine?

TT: Obviously the Gillette razor is a necessity. A few years ago, I became a skin care girlie in Europe — I started going to those French pharmacies and using Caudalie. I love the Vinoperfect Serum and the Grape Water spray. The spray has antioxidants, so feel like it protects my skin from smoke, smog, all that.

I used to be a serial nonmoisturizer. I wouldn’t even put on lotion because I sweat so much. Then I started using Nativa Spa Body Oil — you put it on while you’re wet, right after the shower. It’s transformed my skin. I don’t look like an alligator anymore. My sister’s proud of me because before she would tell me, “You’re always ashy.” Now she’s asking me for products.

ED: What about your go-to makeup routine?

TT: I don’t wear a ton of makeup — a gloss, some mascara, rosy blush, and we’re good to go.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.