23/23 on Serve: Taylor Townsend and the Loneliness of Net-Play in the WTA

On Tuesday night at the Grandstand court, Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, I sat in the press row and witnessed something I have rarely seen in eight years of covering American tennis: a female player winning all 23 first-serve points, coming to the net 8 times and winning 7, finishing the match in just 51 minutes with a 6-1, 6-1 scoreline against Taylah Preston. Taylor Townsend, the 28-year-old American ranked 96th in the world, had just displayed a style of play many thought extinct in the modern WTA era: serve-and-volley, net-rushing, finishing with ruthless volleys. The context of this match lies not in the opponent's name – Preston is a young Australian who has never cracked the top 100, and the 1-6, 1-6 defeat spoke volumes about the gap in class. The real story lies in how Townsend orchestrated the match. According to data I collected from tournament officials, she not only won every first-serve point but also converted 5 of 8 break points, a 62.5% rate showing aggression even when returning. But the most striking number was 7 of 8 net points won – a clear tactical signal that Townsend did not come to the court to rally from the baseline. The scarcity of this style in modern women's tennis is undeniable. Since the Serena Williams era of baseline dominance, the WTA has been ruled by deep hitters, constant movers, and those waiting for opponents to err. Townsend, with her lefty serve opening wide angles on the Ad court, chose the opposite path: attacking from the first point, closing in on the net, and finishing as quickly as possible. In a match where she landed her first serves, the opponent barely had a chance to find a return rhythm – this is not a tactic, but a philosophy of play. I recall my first match coverage at the Miami Open in 2026, when I wrote about another young American pursuing the net-game style, concluding she could not survive at the top level due to insufficient athleticism. Eight years later, I realize I was wrong about how to evaluate the value of this style. Townsend does not have the ideal physique of a modern player – she is not 1m80, she does not have Aryna Sabalenka's powerful two-handed backhand – but she compensates with intelligence in positioning and timing her net approaches. Her lefty serve creates unreturnable angles on the Ad court, and when opponents are forced into weak returns, Townsend is already in the ideal position to finish with a cross-court volley. This is a technique honed from years of doubles play, where she won the Wimbledon women's doubles title in 2026. But I must pause here and ask the question few in the press room dared to raise that night: does the 23/23 first-serve points won truly reflect Townsend's level, or is it merely a product of a vastly inferior opponent? Taylah Preston, 19, had never played a Grand Slam before, and her failure to win a single point against Townsend's first serve says more about the gap in class than about the brilliance of the serve. The match data does not provide first-serve percentage, ace count, or double faults – crucial metrics to accurately assess serve quality. I only know Townsend won 23 of 23 points when her first serve landed, but not how many first serves she actually made. The contrarian angle here is: what makes me believe in Townsend is not the 23/23 number, but how she spoke about her match afterward. In the press conference, when a reporter asked about her serve, Townsend did not talk about technique or tactics. She said: "I think I have one of the best serves in the world, and being left-handed gives me an advantage on the Ad court." That statement is not arrogance, but an acknowledgment of something she has built over 15 years of career. But I also know that Diana Shnaider, her next opponent in the second round, is also a left-handed player. This means Townsend's serve-angle advantage will be partially neutralized, as Shnaider is accustomed to reading lefty serve spins from daily practice sessions with teammates. I watched Diana Shnaider compete at the Cincinnati Masters a month ago, and I remember how quickly she reads the game. Shnaider, 20, ranked 15th in the world, does not have a powerful serve, but she has excellent return ability with her flat two-handed backhand. This creates an intriguing puzzle for Townsend: will she continue her net-rushing tactics when her opponent can return low, skidding balls that make volleying more difficult? In the match against Preston, Townsend could approach the net comfortably because the returns came at favorable heights. But Shnaider will not make that mistake. The court may change ownership, but the nights of losing one's voice calling out names are never for sale. I remember that night at Grandstand, when Townsend finished the match with an unreachable cross-court volley, the crowd erupted. An older Black fan sitting next to me stood up clapping endlessly, and I saw in his eyes a pride I understood deeply – the feeling of watching someone represent your community win with their own identity. Townsend is one of the few Black female players competing at this year's US Open, and her journey carries meaning far beyond a first-round victory. She is playing for generations of Black players who never had the opportunity to enter professional tennis, and she does it with a style unlike anyone else. People remember transfer fees, but I remember the look in the captain's eyes when signing the final contract. In Townsend's case, I remember her eyes as she entered the press room – not the excitement of an easy victory, but the focus of someone knowing the real match has just begun. Her US Open journey this year is not just a story of a world No. 96 advancing past the first round; it is the story of a playing style trying to survive in an era where safety is valued over boldness. And when I saw Townsend standing at the baseline, ready to charge the net from her first serve of the deciding game, I understood I was not just reporting a match – I was witnessing a manifesto on the value of attacking tennis. The stadium empty, I understand I am not just reporting – but keeping the breath of a belief alive. The match against Shnaider will be the real test for both Townsend's style and her spirit. If she can maintain a high first-serve percentage and continue applying net pressure against a left-handed opponent with solid returns, her story will no longer be a fleeting surprise. But if she fails, people will say 23/23 was just a number from an easy match – and that would also be true. Tennis does not forgive those who only shine for one night. I will watch that match from the press row, and I will remember that, like the stoppage-time minutes of a life, Townsend's final games at this year's tournament are what will define her career.