Taylor Townsend and Evan King might have lost out on the French Open mixed doubles trophy, but the duo are already set to resume their hunt for a Grand Slam trophy together at the end of the month. The American pair will partner once more at Wimbledon, the only Slam that takes place on grass.
On Thursday, King and Townsend took on Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in the final of the mixed doubles competition. While the former were seeded No. 4, the Italians were No. 3 and went on to win the battle in straight sets, taking home the title 6-4, 6-2.
Despite the loss, this changes nothing for the partnership, as confirmed by Townsend in an earlier interview. Speaking in an interview with the Tennis Channel after reaching hre final, the American had revealed that she and King, another Chicago native, will “run it back” at Wimbledon after he locked her up for the tournament even in the middle of Roland Garros.
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"We're having a great time. It's special to me, honestly. [Evan King] locked me up for Wimbledon. He was like 'Hey you set for Wimbly?' I was like 'No.' And he's like 'We run it back?' I was like 'Sure, why not,'" Taylor Townsend said.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony on Thursday, Evan King even joked about how he kept pestering Townsend until she agreed to partner with him at Roland Garros this year.
“I asked her, she said maybe. Then I asked her again, she said maybe,” King said. “Then I asked her again, and I think she was like, ‘Okay, you’ve been doing enough in doubles to deserve to play doubles with me.’”
While Taylor Townsend is out of the French Open, having lost in the quarterfinals of the women's doubles and the first round in singles, King is still alive and will play in the semifianls of the men's doubles with partner Christian Harrison later.
"He's a great guy" - Taylor Townsend on her relationship with partner Evan King
Speaking at the ceremony, Taylor Townsend lavished praise on Evan King, calling him a great guy and talking about how she was very happy to see him get successful at this stage in his career.
“I’ve known him for a very long time, I know he’s a great guy, and honestly it’s made me so happy to see the success he’s having later in his career,” she said. “It’s been phenomenal to watch. With doubles it’s all about finding the person you really gel with."
The American also spoke about the importance of having a good partner in doubles, not just for the skills on the tennis court bout also someone she could enjoy spending time with off it.
“For me, I’ve always said it, I always choose the people that I feel like I can have a good time on court with,” Taylor Townsend said. “I obviously want someone that can complement my game, but more important for me is to have fun and to be able to be myself and feel free.”
For 33 year old King, this is now the best result at a Grand Slam across all categories. Townsend, on the other hand, has two Slams in women's doubles -- one each at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
