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The above headline is not a joke.  The USTA doesn't want 16-year-old prodigy Taylor Townsend, the top ranked junior player,  playing tennis until she's dropped some weight. Read the full story here: http://www.xojane.com/issues/1-junior-tennis-player-in-the-world-benched-for-being-too-fat

An excerpt from the story states:

16-year-old Taylor Townsend is currently the number one junior tennis player in the world, bringing hope to the increasingly troubled state of American tennis. Considered a prodigy, Townsend is one of 25 junior players currently being trained at the brand-new full-time academy in Boca Raton, FL, which is funded by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Logically, this would seem to make her a major asset for the sport. However, Townsend has been benched by the USTA until further notice. The reason? Evidently, Townsend is just too darn fat.

Thursday, she won two matches at the U.S. Open's junior tournament, the last a dominating two-set victory over Mexico's Marcela Zacarias in which she pumped her fist after winners and jogged to her chair for every changeover.

But unbeknownst to everyone outside her inner circle, the USTA wasn't happy to see Townsend in New York. Her coaches declined to pay her travel expenses to attend the Open and told her this summer that they wouldn't finance any tournament appearances until she makes sufficient progress in one area: slimming down and getting into better shape.

Townsend’s mother wound up funding her trip to the U.S. Open (UPDATE: the USTA has since offered to reimburse her), as the best hopes the presently agent-less Townsend has of landing sponsorships to help support her training are if she is seen winning in high-profile events. Had the USTA not asked Townsend to withdraw from an earlier qualifying event, she might have had the opportunity to be entered into the main draw at the U.S. Open in a wild-card slot, which would have improved her chances dramatically.
 

Again, I highly encourage everyone to read a full account of the story here: http://www.xojane.com/issues/1-junior-tennis-player-in-the-world-benched-for-being-too-fat

I do not even know where to begin with this one, other then to say it is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard.  Two former tennis champions, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Navratilova, have already spoken out in opposition to the USTA decision. What are your thoughts?

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