An American Teen, Once Told She Was Too Heavy To Play, Just Pulled Off A Huge Upset At The French Open

Taylor Townsend, an 18-year-old on track to be the next great American tennis player, just pulled off a huge upset over 20th seed Alize Cornet of France in three sets to reach the third round of the French Open.

Townsend, a former no. 1 ranked junior, is playing in her first Grand Slam event. She won the 2012 Australian Open junior tournament and was a finalist at the 2013 Wimbledon junior.

Here is here match-winning point.

But while Townsend is a rising star, she was once benched by the United States Tennis Association because of her weight.

In 2012, despite being the top-ranked junior in the world and a member of the USTA's development program, the USTA refused to enter the then 16-year-old Townsend in the U.S. Open's junior tournament.

At the time, Patrick McEnroe, the general manager of the USTA's development program said "[the organization's] concern is her long-term health, number one, and her long-term development as a player."

Taylor eventually paid for her own way into the tournament, losing in the quarterfinals.

In a time when childhood obesity is an epidemic and many overweight children are too embarrassed to be more active, young athletes like Townsend should be celebrated, not hidden from public view.