Shot at glory: Young advances to Mixed Doubles Final at US Open
UPA Tour Pro Donald Young has a prime opportunity to make the last professional tennis tournament of his career something extra special.
The 35-year-old Atlanta native and partner Taylor Townsend advanced to the Mixed Doubles Final at the 2024 US Open on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over eighth-seeded Rohan Bopanna and Aldila Sutjiadi.
That sets the stage for a championship showdown against third-seeded Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani on Thursday.
The fairytale run continues for the Americans! Mixed Doubles finals here they come! pic.twitter.com/jX7kxZRQFM
— USTA (@usta) September 4, 2024
The American tandem was given a wildcard to compete in Flushing Meadows, and they're definitely capitalizing on the opportunity.
During the post-match interview, Young was asked if he believed reaching the Final was a real possibility back when he decided to enter the event with Townsend.
"Do you want the honest answer or the right answer?" he replied with a smile. "I just knew me and Taylor could play well if we got hot. I haven't really played competitive this year and she's been playing great, so I told her when I was practicing, if she came by the facility, I was like, 'I won't be too heavy. I'll be as light as possible.' But, I've come out and played well. I'm just super excited. This is a dream come true. I'm so pumped."
They can’t be stopped! Taylor Townsend and Donald Young are off to the US Open Mixed Doubles Final! pic.twitter.com/uH9Nm4HyOz
— USTA (@usta) September 4, 2024
"This is something we've been dreaming of since we were kids," added Townsend. "Hoenstly, I grew up watching him play when he became the No. 1 junior in the world. He was the closest thing to me where I felt I could do it, so a lot of the reason why I'm standing here today is because he inspired me."
With respect to pickleball, Young debuted on the PPA Tour in January.
He also represents MLP's Florida Smash at the Challenger Level.
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