Taylor Townsend: "Tennis isn't necessarily the most hip sport, it's very bougie and uppity"

World No. 168 Taylor Townsend feels that tennis needs to loosen up a bit, and that she is the right person to help it do so.

Townsend is best known for her exploits on the doubles circuit. She has already won two doubles tournaments this season (Adelaide 1 and 2).

Speaking to WTA Insider recently, the American shared her views on how the sport is perceived and what it needs to do to remain relevant.

"Tennis isn't necessarily the most hip sport," she said. "It's very bougie, very uppity. It has a stigma of being Kentucky Derby-esque. Very polite, very proper. You gotta be quiet, you gotta be dressed up. Pop culture is the opposite of that."

"You need the right person and the right personality to blend those worlds," she added. "You need someone who understands both. You need somebody to show you can be here, but you can still be cool and edgy and fun. I think that's me."

On the professional front, Taylor Townsend is on a bit of a roll. On Thursday, she stunned World No. 3 Jessica Pegula 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Italian Open. The Chicago native was in top form during the encounter, playing an exquisite mix of drop shots, volleys, and big groundstrokes.

"I wanted to challenge myself in a different way this time" - Taylor Townsend on her decision to compete in singles at the Italian Open

Taylor Townsend during her second-round match at the Italian Open against Jessica Pegula

In the same interview, Taylor Townsend revealed why she decided to compete at the Italian Open in singles, stating that she wanted to "challenge herself."

"For me and my energy levels, to be able to feel rejuvenated and excited going into the Slams, I felt it was better for me to just play the lower-level tournaments and get the matches," Townsend said.

"That's what I needed at the time. But I wanted to challenge myself in a different way this time, trying to earn my way into these big tournaments. I've stayed in the States, and I know what that's like. But I didn't know what this was like, so I wanted to give myself that experience and that competition level," she added.

The decision seems to have paid off for Townsend. She beat Mirjam Bjorklund and Dalma Galfi in straight sets to qualify for the main draw of the WTA 1000 event. She then beat Ysaline Bonaventure in a hard-fought three-set encounter before ousting Jessica Pegula.

Townsend will square off against Wang Xiyu on Saturday.