Taylor Townsend Snags Last-Minute Australian Open Entry In Surprising Twist

Last Updated:January 18, 2026, 10:21 IST

Taylor Townsend enters the 2026 Australian Open singles draw after Marketa Vondrousova's withdrawal.

Taylor Townsend plays a forehand return to compatriot Hailey Baptiste (Picture credit: AP)

Australian Open 2025 doubles champion Taylor Townsend, on Sunday, January 18, received a sudden entry into the 2026 Australian Open women’s singles draw after Marketa Vondrousova withdrew from the tournament due to a shoulder injury.

Townsend fell in the third round of qualifying to local player Storm Hunter, but now enters the main draw as a lucky loser after the withdrawal of reigning Wimbledon champion Vondroušová.

In her first match at the Australian Open, Townsend is all set to compete against compatriot Hailey Baptiste.

“I am really sorry that I had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to ongoing shoulder issues. After everything I have been dealing with, I need to prioritise my health, even though this decision was not easy," Vondrousova wrote on her Instagram story.

Vondroušová’s withdrawal opened up a spot in the women’s singles main draw, which was awarded to Townsend.

Townsend and her doubles partner, Katerina Siniakova, enter the 2026 Australian Open as the No. 1 seeds in the women’s doubles draw. They are all set to face Anna Siskova and Magali Kempen in the first-round clash in Melbourne.

Townsend and Siniakova enter the Australian Open as the defending women’s doubles champions. Last year, they triumphed 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 over Jelena Ostapenko and Hsieh Su-wei, who had won the title the previous year.

The title triumph marked Townsend and Siniakova’s second Slam title as a doubles pair, having won the Wimbledon title in 2024.

In singles, Townsend has struggled at the Australian Open, with her best results being second-round finishes in 2020 and 2023. This year, if she gets past compatriot Baptiste in the first round, she will face either Jessica Bouzas Maneiro or Storm Hunter next.

Townsend is coming off a win at the Japan Women’s Open in October, where she and Kristina Mladenovic won the doubles title.

At the Citi Open in July, Townsend and Zhang Shuai won the women’s doubles title.

News sports tennis Taylor Townsend Snags Last-Minute Australian Open Entry In Surprising Twist

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