Taylor Townsend explains what her relationship with Naomi Osaka is really like on tour

Taylor Townsend’s 2025 season took off in a big way, thanks in no small part to her stunning run at the US Open.

She pushed through some tough spots to hit a new high in singles Grand Slam play and also made it all the way to the doubles final.

Since then, Townsend has opened up about how fame hasn’t always been easy to handle. Still, she says building relationships on tour has made things easier.

Her connection with Naomi Osaka is one such relationship. Speaking on The Changeover Podcast, Townsend shared how their friendship began and what Osaka is really like away from the spotlight.

Taylor Townsend gives honest insight into friendship with Naomi Osaka

“We had barely spoken outside of, like, hi, bye, like, one time in Cincinnati. She had just finished a match and she was sad and she had just come back. And like I went up to her and just hugged her and I’m like you’re going to be fine. You’re good.

“But after that, you know it was just like hi, you know, kind of the same. And then she invited me [on vacation], and I was like alright. Like and I was kind of hesitant. I told her this. I’m like girl I was not going to come.

“I didn’t know what I was getting to…like…I didn’t know who’s going to be there. You know what I’m saying? But it ended up being the best trip ever.”

Townsend then explained what Osaka is really like off court: “She’s actually really cool and f——— hilarious.

“It’s the way that she talks, though – you have to be listening because she doesn’t talk loud,” Townsend continued. “And when she speaks, she speaks so it’s like you really got to be listening because she’s not going to say it multiple times.”

And Osaka even attended a few matches in support of her friend:

“And so, like, she actually came to one of my matches when I was playing last round qualies in Australia,” said Townsend.

Townsend finished by saying how much their friendship means away from tennis:

Taylor Townsend Opens Up About Friendship with Naomi Osaka Taylor Townsend enjoyed a meteoric rise in 2025, helped by her incredible run at the US Open.

Who did Taylor Townsend beat in her 2025 US Open singles run?

Although she’s often labelled as a doubles specialist, Townsend has made it clear she sees herself as more than that.

She backed up those words with several strong showings last season, and her performance at the US Open was a standout.

She started her campaign with a comfortable win over Antonia Ružić before coming through a tense encounter with Jelena Ostapenko, which helped raise her profile even further.

Townsend handled that situation well and carried that composure into her third-round match against fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, where she pulled off another upset.

Her run eventually ended in the fourth round after she let eight match points slip away against Barbora Krejcikova.

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