American tennis player Taylor Townsend recently spoke about the difficult hot and humid conditions she faced at the WTA 125K event in Grado, Italy, during the 2025 European summer. Townsend had to withdraw from her Round of 32 match against Kaja Juvan due to the oppressive weather.
Before competing in Italy, Townsend made notable appearances at the 2025 Roland-Garros in Paris. She reached the mixed doubles final alongside Evan King, where they were defeated in straight sets by Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. In addition, she and her doubles partner Katerina Siniakova were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic in the women’s doubles competition.
Throughout her European tournament stretch, Townsend openly discussed her discomfort with the weather. In a video shared via Instagram, she described the hotel conditions, revealing she had only one window to open and no air conditioning. She expressed her frustration with the heat and lack of air flow:
“This European summer is about to take me out. I got one window that open up, it’s so hot and humid in this room, just need some air man. I am tired of sweating. I am just tired of being hot, just give me a breeze.”
Despite these challenges, Townsend remains poised for the upcoming hard-court season. She has been confirmed to compete in the mixed doubles event at the 2025 US Open with fellow American Ben Shelton, set to begin on August 24.
Townsend Reflects on Recovery From Concussion During Miami Open
Taylor Townsend also opened up about the concussion she suffered during the Miami Open semifinals earlier this year, which forced her to miss events like the Rome and Madrid tournaments. Nonetheless, she managed to return to competition in time for Roland-Garros.
In an interview with Tennis Channel, Townsend described the seriousness of her injury and her path to recovery. She emphasized that she would not have competed at the French Open if she was not fully healthy and acknowledged the disappointment of missing those earlier events:
“It was a scary situation with the concussion, but I’m doing great. I was just saying like I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t okay. So, it was one of the things where I didn’t realize like how bad it was until I started like doing tests and like going to the doctor. It was tough to pull out of Madrid and Rome but then it was like, ‘okay let me just take the proper time to get healthy.'”
Her resilience through this setback is part of a strong 2025 season that also includes winning the Australian Open women’s doubles title alongside Katerina Siniakova and capturing the Dubai Tennis Championships by defeating Jelena Ostapenko and Hsieh Su-wei in the final match.
Tough Weather and Physical Setbacks Shape Townsend’s 2025 Season
The stifling European summer humidity and the lingering effects of a serious concussion have created significant hurdles for Taylor Townsend’s season. Despite these obstacles, she has demonstrated determination by competing at a high level in major tournaments and continuing to prepare for the US Open.
Her candid comments on the difficulties of playing in Italy’s 125K event and her honest reflections on recovery reveal the physical and mental demands athletes face during intensive tournament schedules. Townsend’s upcoming participation at the US Open mixed doubles with Ben Shelton will be an important test of her form after a challenging summer campaign.