MIAMI GARDENS — In South Florida, doubles is king. On the WTA and ATP tour, doubles can seem like an afterthought.
So it’s only appropriate Taylor Townsend, who spent her teen years in Boca Raton, has become arguably the best doubles player in the world. Another milestone was reached March 29 at the Miami Open.
Townsend, a 29-year-old lefthander, and her partner and newest best friend, Katerina Siniakova captured the Miami Open, putting the finishing touches on The Sunshine Double.
It is the first women’s doubles team since 2019 to notch the Sunshine Double, which is stringing together back-to-back titles at March’s premier Indian Wells and Miami Open tournaments.
In a rain-interrupted match that forced them to move from jam-packed Hard Rock Stadium to the smaller grandstand court to make way for the men’s singles finals, Townsend-Siniakova beat the No. 1 seeds from Italy, Sara Errani/ Jasmine Paolini 7-6 (7-0), 6-1.
No matter it was done before a much-smaller audience. They did it 40 minutes from where Townsend learned the game.
“We’re making history together (smiling),’’ Taylor said in her press conference. “It’s nice to do something new, but it means a lot to me. This is something I have never accomplished before in my career. When we started, we weren’t even talking about this. Obviously, everyone knows about the Sunshine Double, but we never spoke about winning it. We just really tried to be better each match.’’
Taylor Townsend, Katerina Siniakova have been a doubles team since 2024
Townsend and Siniakova, who hails from the Czech Republic, joined forces in 2024 and have already netted two Grand Slam titles – 2024 Wimbledon and last year’s Australian Open. They also lost in the 2025 U.S. Open finals.
Townsend still plays singles but has yet to make a major breakthrough there as she’s currently ranked 90th.
After the doubles semifinal win Saturday, Townsend explained why she’s such a special doubles player other than great hands at the net. Townsend was ranked No. 1 in doubles in 2025 and currently is 5th.
“I just think I enjoy the game,’’ Townsend told The Palm Beach Post. “Doubles requires a certain type of skill. I’ve always loved playing doubles. I’ve been playing since I could remember. It’s something I grew up doing, even with mixed doubles, growing up with a lot of guys. I’m used to the ball coming fast at me (at the net). If I didn’t enjoy the feelings it brings out on the court, I wouldn’t keep doing it.’’
Townsend lived in Boca Raton from age 14 to 18 and has a diploma from Boca Raton High, where her mother, Sheila, still works in finance and coaches the school’s boys and girls teams.
Taylor Townsend was part of USTA’s developmental program but needed her local high school to sponsor a diploma.
“It’s not necessarily Florida specific but whenever I play in the States it feels very homey,’’ Townsend said. “A lot of people come and support. Every time we do have this opportunity, I really enjoy it and give love to the fans. They come out to watch, no matter what court. They watch our practices. It’s really hot, not ideal conditions, just sitting there.’’
Her first Miami Open title was extra special because of what happened a year ago at Hard Rock Stadium.
Townsend played the 2025 Miami Open doubles semifinals with a concussion and felt the effects in their three-set loss. She had fallen during the quarterfinal match but felt well enough to play the semifinal. There are concussion protocols in the WTA but in a non-contact sport, it is up to the player.
“Nobody knew about it,’’ Townsend said. ‘I was playing great. I didn’t think it was as bad as it was. We were up a set and a break and I started declining. I was really tired late the match. I didn’t know what a concussion was like and how it would affect my performance.
“We have protocols in place. I was under a lot of scrutiny. They really didn’t want me to play but it was up to me. My choice.’’
Townsend would miss the next month-and-half after seeing concussion specialists in Georgia, where she has lived through her 20s.
“I’m appreciative and grateful for my health,’’ Townsend said. “Things are bigger than a tennis match and wanting to get a title. I’m thinking about how it was last year, I didn’t know how long, I’d be out of the sport. You don’t know how bad it is until you push on.’’
In this year’s tournament’s first weekend, March 21, Townsend and Siniakova were put on the obscure Court 5 for a second-round match. Lines were long to get into the seating. Townsend had a flood of family and friends inside.
Townsend signs autographs to show appreciation for fans
After the win, Townsend spent 10 minutes signing autographs on her way out.
“I try to show my appreciation the best I can, never take it for granted,’’ Townsend said. “I’ll never forget playing in the Covid bubble (2020) when there’s nobody in the stands. We were playing at the U.S. Open and there was literally nobody there. When there’s a crowd, I make sure I honor that. Without them, our sport isn’t pushed forward.’’
The other attraction to doubles, Townsend said, is the companionship. Her friendship with Siniakova has grown.
“We’re just having fun, laughing,’’ Townsend said. “Kat and I have become good friends on and off the court. I’ve known Kat for a lot of years, playing against each other since 12. But it’s a way to bring people together who otherwise would never speak.’’
Townsend left Boca for good at age 18 after becoming a full-time professional. It was tennis, tennis, tennis for Townsend in Boca as part of the USTA program.
“I don’t have a ton of experiences living down here,’’ Townsend said. “I came for a very specific reason to train and have experiences I wouldn’t have at home. For me, I wasn’t looking at it as an experience. I was there to elevate my tennis as much as I could with the opportunities I have. I was so young. Maybe a different experience if I was older.’’
It was not bittersweet, however unorthodox, for Townsend to win her first Miami Open on a grandstand with a sparse crowd. But she’ll take it. They came back after a 90-minute rain delay up 6-5 and then cruised 7-0 in the first-set tiebreaker.
Last year, during the rain delays, tour organizers kept the women’s final in place at Hard Rock and the men’s final between Novak Djokovic-Jakub Mensik was played in the evening.
“I was a bit surprised just because that’s never happened, especially at a final,’’ said Townsend, a Chicago native. “But they explained with the TV and the men’s singles slot, whatever. Honestly, I didn’t really care. I just wanted to finish.
“It was nice that the fans came out and that there were people out there to support us and to see that the stands weren’t empty. A court is a court. That’s how I grew up. I played on courts with cracks and weeds up to here.’’
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Taylor Townsend wins Miami Open doubles one year after concussion
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