And Now for Something Completely Different, in Women’s Tennis

Christian Hansen for The New York Times

These are boom times in women’s tennis, with multiple generations colliding.

The greatest player of the 21st century — Serena Williams — is still a major factor at age 37. New stars in their teens like 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu, 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova and 15-year-old Coco Gauff have emerged to challenge the likes of Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep.

But the first week of the United States Open also has underscored another delightful development: a resurgence of stylistic variety.

Taylor Townsend, an extroverted American qualifier, is the extreme example. She has seemingly revived the serve-and-volley style in the women’s game all on…