less than 1 month Earlier, inside the world’s most famous clay court, Katerina Sinakova and Taylor Townsend celebrated by raising their arms to the sky in unison.
The pair had won the final point of the match to become Roland Garros women’s doubles champions with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunić. This was their third Grand Slam title (one on each surface) and further cemented their status as the WTA’s best doubles team.
Since beginning their partnership two years ago, Sinakova and Townsend have produced some of the most entertaining doubles highlights, leading them to No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the tour’s doubles rankings. And both are ranked within the top 100 in singles, with Sinakova at No. 36 and Townsend at No. 79.
“We’re both getting better,” Townsend said in Paris. “That’s what keeps us going.”
The pair, along with a handful of other notable players, have managed to balance the elements needed to win both singles and doubles matches, from travel to schedule to rest. But it’s not easy.
Everyone on tour understands that singles is where the sport’s greatest fame and attention is, and where players are best recognized and remembered. In fact, Sinakova still plans much of her schedule, including her training sessions, travel arrangements, and which tournaments she participates in, with the goal of honing and honing her singles skills for better results.
So why play singles or doubles? According to players in the second draw at Wimbledon this week, playing both is beneficial in many ways, which is why some of the sport’s biggest names choose it.
“Actually, I always like to play more,” Sinakova told ESPN last week. “For me, doubles is fun. It’s different to have teammates and it’s really nice. At the beginning of my career, I wanted to play. I wanted to play more and get to know that court, because everything was new to me.”
“I feel different when I’m playing a game and when I’m practicing.”
Wimbledon Women’s Doubles This year will feature a number of talented dual-draw players who have won Grand Slam titles, including Jelena Ostapenko, Jasmine Paolini, Marta Kostyuk, Diana Schneider, Elise Mertens, Alexandra Ila and Sofia Kenin.
And then there are two sports legends. Serena Williams (44 years old) and her sister Venus (46 years old). The Williams sisters are six-time doubles champions at Wimbledon, their last appearance together in 2016, when they took home the crown. The wild-card Williams sisters are scheduled to face fellow unseeded pair Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra in the opening round, but their status has been called into question after Serena announced on Wednesday that she had injured her knee.
If you ask players why they participate in both draws, you’ll get a variety of answers. Sinakova found that playing doubles improved her serve and return skills more than when playing alone. Some players like the mental challenge. In the past, Townsend has compared doubles and singles performance, saying that each engages different parts of the brain.
Ostapenko, who won the singles trophy at Roland Garros in 2017, enjoys experimenting when playing doubles, discovering new and unusual angles to hit winning forehands and backhands.
“I’m adapting well to the (doubles) game,” Ostapenko told ESPN last month. “When I play doubles, I don’t put too much pressure on myself, which helps me play well. Ever since I was a kid, I used to think, ‘Why shouldn’t I play doubles?'”
Of course, excelling in the competition is also a top priority.
“I like the big tournaments,” Sinakova said of the annual Grand Slam tournament. “I like to stay there for a long time.”
She’s done it well enough. Sinakova won 11 major doubles titles in her 14-year career and will complete her career win streak in 2022. The previous year, she also won an Olympic gold medal with Barbora Krejcikova.
Just like in singles, in doubles the more wins you have with your partner, the more prize money you can win. A long run in a Slam doubles tournament could be the most money a player can earn in a single event all season. As Roland Garros champions, Sinakova and Townsend each earned $350,003.81 in prize money. The Wimbledon winners will each earn just over $500,000.
Early in her career, Sinakova considered the idea of no longer playing doubles. She realized that most of the top 10 players put all their effort into playing singles and that is still a goal she wants to achieve.
“I thought I’d give it a try for a year,” Sinakova said. “Then I actually looked up some of the top 20 players and they were making less money than me. That’s when I was like, ‘I know, it’s still a job.'” No shame.
“I decided I didn’t want to do it because you can work hard and there’s no guarantee that you’ll be a top-10 player. I love doubles and having a team, good travel and good hotels helps even more.”
Throughout the history of WTAThe tour almost always features star players who have also won big in doubles. Legends such as Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Pam Shriver, Martina Hingis and the Williams sisters have won multiple Grand Slam titles in doubles.
In modern times, many singles stars have further developed their skills by playing doubles.
No. 1 singles player Aryna Sabalenka won her first major title at the 2019 US Open. Sabalenka’s doubles partner is Mertens, who remains one of the top doubles players on tour. Former star Ashleigh Barty followed a similar path. The most recent example is Mira Andreeva, who reached the Australian Open and Roland Garros doubles semifinals with Schneider last season. Last month, Andreeva won her first singles trophy at the French Open.
“If you were (coach) Conchita Martinez, you would think (Andreeva) would be able to hit a lot more of those second shots,” longtime Tennis Channel host and analyst Tracy Austin said of Andreeva’s development in doubles. “You’re developing more of an all-court game, you’re developing more returns and more reps – half volleys, lobs and (drop shots). You’re getting sharper.”
Austin says playing doubles allows players to share the pressure on the court instead of the normal stress that is present and sometimes palpable in singles matches. A doubles environment can create even more moments of joy, laughter, and camaraderie.
Austin cited the partnership between Leila Fernandez and Venus Williams as a highlight of last year’s U.S. Open. Fernandez and Williams performed in front of a sold-out crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which holds 14,000 fans, as they advanced to the quarterfinals.
“Remember when Layla (was) a little girl,” Austin said. “How many majors has she watched Venus win or compete? Now, Venus is asking you to play doubles. You’re playing with legends. That way you can see in the moment how they think, how they compete, and what they say between points.”
“It’s a huge learning experience and a very rewarding one. And by the way, you’re also having a good time and being successful. I’m sure it will be one of her fondest memories.”
The fun thing about doubles for double draw players is that the rallies can be more varied. Doubles points can be faster or more intense in determining which pair has the advantage during a rally. Townsend said each of the four players must understand their own positioning on the court and connect with their partner, whether the point unfolds the way the pair intended or a rally requires two players to improvise at the same time.
“I still feel that doubles could become more popular than it is now, because these are really good doubles players,” Ostapenko said. “For fans, sometimes it’s more interesting to watch doubles because there’s more going on. It’s more like a team sport.”
For some players, like Ostapenko, the passion for doubles outweighs all other factors. Since the start of the 2014 season, Ostapenko has reached the doubles finals at four Grand Slam tournaments, twice each with Lyudmila Kichenok and Suwei Hsieh.
Ostapenko said winning the 2024 US Open doubles title with Kichenok proved he made the right choice to continue his doubles career.
“It was a great experience,” Ostapenko said. “I had (already) won a Grand Slam in singles, so I (didn’t) get the feeling that I had in singles… (but) I did feel like, ‘Wow, this is a great accomplishment.’
There are sacrifices too And being a player on tour is hard, and even harder for players who remain in multiple draws in tournaments.
Early in Austin’s career, in the late 1970s, she played doubles. But Ms. Austin noticed a troubling trend that wasn’t helping her as much as she had hoped.
“A lot of times we’re playing indoors and the last (event) of the night was doubles,” said Austin, a two-time U.S. Open singles champion. “You’ll continue playing at 10:30 p.m., so I’ll finish at (midnight). Singles the next day won’t be as sharp. Doubles ended prematurely. Rest takes precedence over the players on the court.”
Consider Townsend’s tumultuous 35-day period that began last month. At the Italian Open in Rome, Townsend played a total of eight matches in 12 days, including four consecutive singles wins. Townsend entered Roland Garros with momentum, moving up 19 spots in the singles rankings to 75th place. But then she had to face her best friend and 2025 French Open champion Coco Gauff in the opening singles match. She was also battling an illness.
“Honestly, I was fighting for my life during the game,” Townsend said after the game. She lost to Gauff 6-4, 6-0. “I felt so bad. I felt so bad.”
The next day, she recovered enough to win alongside Shinakova. Townsend played a total of seven games during his 13 days in Paris, while Sinakova played eight games during that period. But for Townsend, the doubles run to the French Open title brought mixed emotions. She has been away from her 5-year-old son, Adin Aubrey Johnson, for seven weeks straight. Due to the tour’s clay court season, Townsend missed Adin’s last day of school, first day of summer camp and swimming lessons with her father, Gary.
“This was one of those decisions I made for myself, especially early in life, to sacrifice,” Townsend said of her son. “When he was younger, he didn’t understand as much. I thought it would be different. But actually, the older he gets, the harder it becomes. When I’m traveling, in these kinds of moments, I always say, ‘I cherish it.’ ”
Almost a year ago, Townsend became the first mother in WTA history to become the No. 1 doubles player, accomplishing the feat in front of her son with Zhang Shuai in Washington, D.C.
“It’s not always about the trophy,” Townsend said. “It’s about the lessons I learn, about the person I am. What am I bringing home? Am I coming back the same person? No, I’ve grown, I’ve evolved. I’ve learned things about myself that I can take control of, deal with myself better, and bring to him.”
Entering Wimbledon When it comes to the combination of playing styles, the strongest pairing is the No. 1 team, Sinakova and Townsend. Townsend can use a powerful forehand from the deuce side, which is further advantaged by her being left-handed. Sinakova’s style is perfect for the advertising side, and her backhand is one of her most reliable shots. Both women have above-average athleticism, displaying quickness, agility, and hand-eye coordination to score the most points on the net.
“Taylor can poach on the forehand volley,” Austin said. “With Sinakova’s right-handed serve, it stays low. Taylor’s left-handed serve spins fast. Every time you return it, it’s something completely different. That makes it difficult.”
First Grand Slam together, first title 🤯
Katerina Sinakova and Taylor Townsend defeated Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliff 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1) to win the women’s doubles trophy 🙌 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/wOCXcMAqp6
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2024
In 2024, the partnership between Sinakova and Townsend began in an unusual way. Sinakova sent a direct message to Townsend via Instagram asking if he could participate in Grass Season. Townsend was surprised. At the time, Townsend was recovering from an ankle sprain that forced him to miss Roland Garros that year. Synakova, along with Krejcikova, was also the opponent to defeat Townsend and Katie McNally in the doubles final at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Siniakova and Townsend advanced to the 2024 Wimbledon women’s doubles final with a close 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1) win over Erin Routliff and Gabriella Dabrowski in their second grass event. At the end of the match, Townsend, who won his first Grand Slam title, turned around and hugged Sinakova.
“It seemed like she had no emotion,” Sinakova said of Townsend’s intensity during the match. “She’s always very focused. Whether she’s angry or happy, I’m the one who always shows everything. When I saw her cry when I won the final, I felt so proud that I was able to help the other players get what they wanted. It was her dream. I almost cried. We achieved it together. I was so happy.”
“I love the emotion of the final, the experience of being able to win the trophy. Now that we know each other so well, this journey feels incredible.”
Both Sinakova and Townsend are also great problem solvers. In the Roland Garros final, he rallied after a break in the second set and won six of the final nine matches.
“We can play any combination we want,” Sinakova said. “That’s really great because that’s what makes us a tough team. And it’s a bonus that we hit it off off the court as well. I love that I can tell her anything. If I’m not feeling well or nervous, , we can talk out loud. We’re trying to find solutions to play better. At that time, you’re not so stressed. I really love this teamwork, and I get to know her character more.”
This summer, Sinakowa and Townsend have two missions. They want to repeat as Wimbledon champions and hope to lift the trophy together at the US Open. If she wins in New York, Townsend will become the 20th woman and third black woman to complete the Career Slam in the British Open era.
“That’s what’s on my list,” Townsend said. “That’s the match I want the most, because it’s home for me and New York is so special. It’s a very special type of atmosphere and energy. And you want to win at home. The U.S. Open would mean everything.”
