Siniakova and Townsend book another WTA Finals trip with bigger goals in mind

CINCINNATI -- Twenty-three tournaments together. Seven doubles titles. Three Grand Slam championships. And now a third consecutive trip to the WTA Finals.

World No. 1 Katerina Siniakova and No. 2 Taylor Townsend became the first players to qualify for the 2026 WTA Finals at Indian Wells, securing another appearance at the year-end showcase on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.

"I'm really excited," Townsend said to wtatennis.com in Cincinnati. "It's been kind of -- I wouldn't say full-circle moment -- but the first year that we qualified was only because we won Wimbledon. We'd only played four tournaments together.

"Then the year after that was because of the results. Obviously this year, we've even had better results. I'm super excited to have qualified this early, and it kind of takes some pressure off because now we can just play free, knowing that you're already set and you have that to look forward to at the end of the year."

Siniakova and Townsend are on track to become the only team to qualify for each WTA Finals since 2024, and their results have only improved. This season, they won three WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid, dropping just two sets across the three tournaments.

To cap it off, they won Roland Garros in June, which continued a stretch since becoming partners in 2024 that they have won at least on Grand Slam a season. Together, they have won Wimbledon (2024), Australian Open (2025) and Roland Garros (2026) and a potential win at US Open would complete the Career Slam together in addition to Townsend's individual Career Slam. 

"I'm excited too," Siniakova said on qualifying for finals. "It shows how consistent we can be, and I'm really grateful for this year. We had so many nice tournaments, great memories. I'm looking forward to Indian Wells."

The partnership works in part because of the experience both players bring to the doubles court. Off it, Siniakova and Townsend have built their relationship on open communication and trust, particularly important as both continue to pursue their singles careers.

On the court, Townsend’s left-handed game complements Siniakova’s right-handed approach, creating problems for opponents. Their different serves, net play and shot selection give them the flexibility to adjust to almost any situation.

"What I think is really strong part of our team that we are lefty and righty, it's really tricky," Siniakova said to press in June after their Roland Garros win. "The game of me and Taylor is totally different. For the opponents it's also really tricky, because we can change it, and we can play almost anything we want. We can just do it during the game."

With a combined 54 doubles titles, including 14 Grand Slams, Siniakova and Townsend believe their best tennis is still ahead.

"I don't think that we have a limit to where we can go," Townsend said back in June in Paris. "As long as we stay healthy in the mind and the body and the spirit is good, I don't see any reason why we can't continue to play some of our best tennis in our latter years. We both just turned 30 this year, so we're not spring chickens.

"We've been out on the tour for a really long time, but for me I can speak for myself. I'm playing some of the best tennis, and I feel the best that I've felt in a really long time."

The US Open will mark Siniakova and Townsend’s 24th tournament together before they turn their attention to the Asian swing and, ultimately, the WTA Finals at Indian Wells. They reached the final in 2024 and the semifinals in 2025 but have yet to win the season-ending title.

Both are looking forward to returning to Indian Wells, where they won earlier this year, and experiencing the tournament in November rather than March. Townsend also welcomed the change of venue for an event that will offer a different setting from the past two editions.

“I have no idea what Indian Wells is like in November,” Townsend said. “I think that this is going to be a very new experience, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Townsend acknowledged that conditions, including the courts and balls, could differ from the tournament held there in March. But she is approaching the event with an open mind and looking forward to seeing how the WTA builds the experience around the world’s best players.

“It’s something that you work really hard throughout the entire year, and that’s a representation of all the hard work that you put in,” she said.

Siniakova shares her partner’s enthusiasm.

“I love Indian Wells, it’s one of the favorite tournaments of mine,” she said. “It’s going to be totally a new experience, it’s going to be different. I’m curious how the WTA’s going to do it.”