Townsend, 30, announced the withdrawal through Instagram Stories on Wednesday night, sharing that the situation was unexpected. She posted a photo Thursday morning showing herself in a hospital bed, though specific details regarding the nature of the surgery or her location have not been released.
The announcement comes just days after Townsend and her doubles partner, Kateřina Siniaková, secured the final piece of their career Grand Slam. The top-seeded pair defeated Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery in the U.S. Open women’s doubles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a score of 5–7, 6–0, 6–2.
With this victory, Townsend and Siniaková have won all four major titles as a team. Their previous Grand Slam victories include wins at Wimbledon in 2024, the Australian Open in 2025, and Roland Garros in June of this year. The duo also avenged a 2025 final loss to Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe by winning the title in Queens earlier this year.
Townsend had competed in the Guadalajara tournament on Monday, defeating German player Tatjana Maria in three sets, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. Following her U.S. Open triumph, she had expressed excitement about playing in front of fans in Mexico, stating that the forced withdrawal broke her heart.
Currently ranked as the world’s No. 2 doubles player, Townsend also competed in the singles draw at the U.S. Open, where she was eliminated in the fourth round by top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka. Siniaková holds the No. 1 spot in the doubles rankings.
It remains unclear whether Townsend underwent the procedure in Guadalajara or traveled back to the United States. She has promised to provide updates on her recovery in the near future.