This week at the Mutua Madrid Open, Taylor Townsend is ranked No.58 in singles and No.11 in doubles. Her most recent titles have come on the doubles court. But her most memorable performances have come in singles.
So Taylor: Are you a doubles or a singles player?
"I'm a singles player -- I'm just good at doubles," Townsend said on the WTA Insider Podcast. "I'm just being honest. I don't look at myself as a doubles player, I look at myself as a tennis player. I wish that [conception] could stop. There are people who play only doubles but we're all just tennis players.
"The transition to doubles only is more difficult because you have to play a lot. You have to do better, more volume to get to this level. I think the volume of matches that you have to play is a lot higher because you're splitting points, you're splitting money. I think that it's tougher. A lot of doubles players are playing every week. The luxury of taking weeks off isn't as flexible for that. So it's just as demanding, if not more.
Townsend joined the WTA Insider Podcast to discuss how she's managed her schedule since returning to the Hologic WTA Tour two years ago after giving birth to her son, Adyn.
Listen to the full interview with Townsend below:
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As Townsend, 28, explained, after easing into her comeback over the last two seasons, she has a better grasp on how to manage her match load and schedule to optimize consistency on the singles and doubles court.
"Thankfully, my coach and I have an understanding and we communicate," Townsend said on the WTA Insider Podcast. "We have that open communication so I don't feel bad or I can't say that if it's how I'm feeling. But I also know this is my job. This is a dream of mine and I know I'm pushing towards certain goals. So I understand that I have to do things that make me a little bit more uncomfortable sometimes.
"I did that a lot last year. I spent three months away from my son. That was really hard and that was a huge challenge for me. But I did it and I got through it, so I know that I can do it now -- I don't want to do it -- but I know I can.
"We definitely plan so I don't get burned out. I think that shows. I'm not injured, I haven't had any injuries, and I'm not taped up."
