Taylor Townsend fought back tears as she addressed a roaring crowd in Washington, D.C., moments after reaching a significant milestone at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open. The 29-year-old American officially climbed to the top of the WTA doubles rankings for the first time in her career. Townsend is now the first mother to reach the No. 1 spot in WTA doubles.
Taylor Townsend’s Rise to the Top, Inspired by Her Son Adyn
Townsend returned to professional tennis in April 2022 after giving birth to her son, Adyn Aubrey, in March 2021. Since then, the Chicago native has gradually rebuilt her career, stringing together major wins and forming new partnerships.
Her latest triumph came alongside China’s Zhang Shuai, with whom she stormed through the draw in the 2025 edition of the Mubadala Citi DC Open, dropping just one set en route to the title. Townsend, also the defending champion at the event, had won the previous year with Asia Muhammad.
Seeded second, Townsend and Zhang breezed past Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Cristina Bucșa in the opening round, then defeated the American duo of Hailey Baptiste and Venus Williams. After receiving a walkover in the semifinals against Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina, they dominated the final, crushing Caroline Dolehide and Sofia Kenin 6-1, 6-1. It was Townsend’s 10th career doubles title and her sixth with a different partner.
Doubles champions in DC
Taylor Townsend and Shuai Zhang defeat Dolehide/Kenin in straight sets to capture the 2025 title!#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/YnOlBUpQKX
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 26, 2025
Townsend struggled to hold back tears during an emotional trophy ceremony as she soaked in the moment with family and friends courtside. “I honestly have no words. I’m not going to say that I can’t believe it, but it seemed like such a long shot, and we work really hard,” she said. “It’s really special for me to be able to have my friends and family, everyone in this corner. This wouldn’t be possible without you guys, so thank you.”
She continued, reflecting on the path that led her to the top: “This just means so much. We work really hard, and we write things down, and I’m not going to say I believed that it was possible. I didn’t know. It was just a dream of mine, and it hasn’t really sunk in until just now. But it really means so much. Also, my coach isn’t here, but I want to tell him thank you. It’s been a lot of literal blood, sweat, and tears going into this.”
The most heartfelt moment came when she addressed her young son: “You, this is all for you, baby. I love you so much.” She added, “And lastly, you guys know I have to pop my stuff. It’s crazy how you just switch up. But I came here last year and won this title after winning Wimbledon, which was my first Grand Slam, so a two-peat as number one ain’t so bad. So thank you, guys, and let’s keep it going.”
Townsend Surges Past Former Partner Siniakova
Townsend’s rise to the top officially ends Katerina Siniakova’s 46-week reign as the No. 1 women’s doubles player. The Czech player has held the position for 161 weeks in her career and has shared many recent successes with Townsend as her partner. The duo claimed Major titles together in 2024, including Wimbledon and the WTA Finals.
They followed that up with a win at the 2025 Australian Open and a title at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai earlier this year. Still, Townsend now leads the rankings as the 50th woman, and 13th American, to become World No. 1 in WTA doubles.
Townsend also made a strong showing in the singles draw at the same event. After entering as a qualifier, she knocked out Tatjana Maria and sixth seed Sofia Kenin before falling to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals.
MORE: Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton and Others React as Taylor Townsend Accomplishes Her World No. 1 Dream
