Three teams were standout performers on the doubles court in the month of September, but only one pair can earn the title of WTA Doubles Team of the Month.
Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva teamed up for the first time during the US Open - and they finished the fortnight as the new doubles champions after navigating a tricky draw full of seasoned teams and potential hazards.
The pair took down No.7 seeds Sofia Kenin and Victoria Azarenka to reach the quarterfinals, where they met the defending champions and No.2 seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens. Siegemund and Zvonareva didn’t drop a set across either match, and edged past Nicole Melichar and Xu Yifan, the No.3 seeds, to win the championship match.
Read more: Siegemund, Zvonareva storm to US Open doubles title
It’s Siegemund’s second Grand Slam doubles trophy after winning the US Open mixed title in 2016, while Zvonareva claimed her first Grand Slam title since returning from maternity leave.
Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic started the month on a sour note, having to withdraw from the US Open in the second round due to COVID-19 protocols. But they bounced back stronger in Paris, tearing through the competition to defend their title as Roland Garros doubles champions.
Read more: Babos and Mladenovic repeat as champions in Paris
The No.2 seeds overcame an early test against Kaitlyn Christian and Guiliana Olmos, coming back from a set down to dodge their second-round upset bid. They wouldn’t drop another set until the semifinals, when they had to battle through Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, the No.4 seeds, before taking down No.14 seeds Desirae Krawczyk and Alexa Guarachi in the final.
It’s the pair’s second Grand Slam title of the year, after starting off the season with a victory at the Australian Open.
Hsieh Su-Wei and Barbora Strycova were right back to their winning ways, even after spending months of lockdown apart. Before the break, the pair were in world-beating form as they lifted trophies in Brisbane, Dubai and Doha, and reached the Australian Open final.
When they finally reunited in Rome for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, it was like they had never been apart. The top seeds shook off the rust with a perfect love match against Makoto Ninomiya and Nao Hibino, before edging past No.6 seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals. Hsieh and Strycova ousted the Lexington champions Hayley Carter and Luisa Stefani, and dropped just four games in the final to Raluca Olaru and Anna-Lena Friedsam en route to their fourth title of the year in Rome.
Revisit the nominees in the video above, and cast your vote before voting ends on Saturday at 11:59 p.m. EST!
Who was the September 2020 Doubles Team of the Month? Vote now!
Click here to vote for the September 2020 Doubles Team of the Month!
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
Previous 2020 WTA Doubles Teams of the Month
January: Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic
February: Barbora Strycova and Hsieh Su-Wei
August: Kveta Peschke and Demi Schuurs
