No.1 seeds Siniakova, Townsend battle to Australian Open doubles title

No.1 seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend battled to the women's doubles title at the 2025 Australian Open, holding off No.3 seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 in a gripping final on Sunday.

Siniakova and Townsend lived up to their top-seeded billing on Rod Laver Arena, but they had to shake off a second-set comeback by Hsieh and Ostapenko before taking the match after 2 hours and 27 minutes of play.

"I'm happy with the way that we fought mentally and were able to fight through those tough moments and kind of overcome," Townsend said in the champions' press conference.

Increasing their totals: Holding one of the most impressive doubles résumés in the Open Era, Siniakova has now won 10 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles. She is the first player to amass 10 women's doubles Slams since Martina Hingis captured her 10th at 2015 Wimbledon.

"It's really nice that you guys are still saying it and kind of remembering it," Siniakova said. "I'm just, like, professional athlete. I'm just, like, working hard and trying to get more and more. When you guys come and say, 'Oh, you did this,' I'm really excited. So, yeah, it sounds perfect."

The Czech's Grand Slam trophy haul includes seven titles with Barbora Krejcikova, one with Coco Gauff, and now two with Townsend. This is her third Australian Open title, having won here in 2022 and 2023 with Krejcikova. Siniakova has won 29 WTA doubles titles overall.

Townsend has also been rapidly increasing her title count of late. The American has now won eight career WTA doubles titles, two of which are Slams, and seven of which have come after her return from maternity leave in 2022.

This was also Townsend's first match on Rod Laver Arena since she won the Junior Australian Open title in 2012.

"It's amazing that when you go out to these courts, you hold memories, and you remember what those feelings are," said Townsend. "Being able to step back on the court and practice there, it kind of brought back those memories and how it felt, the little girl with braces and bows in her hair. It was really special."

On the rise: Overall, it has been a whirlwind ascent to the top of the doubles hierarchy for the team of WTA Doubles World No.1 Siniakova and fifth-ranked Townsend, who have only been a regular tandem for eight months.

Siniakova and Townsend won last year's Wimbledon title in their first Grand Slam event as a pairing -- which was also Townsend's first Slam as a pro. They followed up with a semifinal showing at the 2024 US Open before hoisting another major trophy on Sunday. They have gone 15-1 in their three Slams as a duo.

"I'm really enjoying being able to have this success with her because doubles is a partnership, and we're a team," said Townsend. "We win together; we lose together. 

"I look at it as a part of history, where it's nobody in our generation that is as decorated or that has accomplished the things that [Siniakova] has. So to be able to be on the same side as her, it's an honor. I'll be happy to continue to rack up those slams with her."

Match moments: Still, it was an intense showdown before the top seeds took the crown. Former WTA Doubles World No.1 Hsieh was trying to defend her title (she won the 2024 Australian Open with Elise Mertens) and Ostapenko was trying to win her second straight Slam (she won the 2024 US Open with Lyudmyla Kichenok).

Siniakova and Townsend were dominant on return as they eased through the first set, where they had break points in all four of their opponents' services games. Things were less cut-and-dry in the second set, but Townsend still served for a straight-sets win at 6-3, 5-4.

Things got tricky, though, as Hsieh and Ostapenko started to come up big in rallies, and they broke for 5-5 without facing championship point. The teams moved into a tiebreak, where Hsieh and Ostapenko extended their momentum. Hsieh fired a return winner to take the second set.

In the first game of the third set, Siniakova hit three double faults and was promptly broken, however she and Townsend quickly broke back to stop the skid. The top seeds held firm and at last took control for good by breaking the Hsieh serve for 5-3.

Helped by exceptional volleying from Townsend, Siniakova raced through her service game to reach triple championship point. One last forecourt putaway by Townsend converted their second match point, and the Czech-American duo were major champions once more.