It was quite the US Open for Taylor Townsend, in more ways than one. 

There was the unfortunate incident at net with Jelena Ostapenko, for which the American was praised by fans and fellow players for her poise and temperament during a difficult situation, and then her magnificent run to the fourth round, where she came oh-so-close to knocking off two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Oh, and then she made the doubles final, capping a highly productive three weeks in New York that kicked off with a star pairing — alongside Ben Shelton — in the mixed doubles tournament.

The 29-year-old became an even bigger fan favorite at the year’s final Slam, her powerful statements and inspiring run taking center stage in New York, and she joined CBS Mornings on Monday to discuss how this tournament has changed her, both personally and professionally.

“It was an opportunity for the world to see the work that I’ve been doing,” the top-ranked doubles player said, referencing how she handled Ostapenko’s comments and the subsequent media attention. “As athletes, and in professional sports, you see the end result, you see the outcomes of all the hours and all the things.

“But I think the biggest way that it changed me was my self-worth got to be on display, the way that I’ve been working on myself and the person that I am. How I want to show up in the world, it was tested — but then it was also displayed.”

Townsend said plenty of off-court opportunities have presented themselves already in the aftermath of the tournament — “This is what I’ve been dreaming for,” she says — and she also feels a renewed energy on the court.

Discussing her crushing fourth-round loss to Krejcikova, a match where she let eight match points slip away in front of more than 14,000 fans that were firmly in her favor, Townsend expressed gratitude rather than bitter disappointment. Of course the loss was painful, but in defeat she rediscovered a burning motivation.

“I fell in love with the game again in the match that I lost,” said Townsend, who played that match in front of her 4-year-old son, A.J. “It so was so weird. After I was done playing, I was just like, ‘Oh my god, I love this. I can’t wait to go back out.’ So the loss really motivated me in a way, honestly, that I haven’t felt in a really, really long time.”

With her run to the fourth round in Queens, which included a win over fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, Townsend moved 27 spots up the PIF WTA Rankings, up to No. 112 in the world.