Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova completed the career Golden Slam by winning the US Open women’s doubles title on Sunday and the Czech duo have no intention of breaking up a winning team. The pair fought back to beat unseeded Americans Caty McNally and Taylor Townsend 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to pick up their sixth grand slam doubles title together.
They won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year but were unable to defend their French Open title due to Krejcikova’s illness. Krejcikova and Siniakova also won gold for their country at last year’s Tokyo Games.
“I think it’s a really special feeling that we are part of history right now,” Krejcikova said. “Then also on the other hand, it’s such amazing achievement, but then the career is still going on and we still want to add some more. We still want to keep improving and keep getting better.
“The goal is mainly to improve every single time we step on the court,” added Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open singles champion. “When we are playing and we win titles it’s amazing satisfaction for that feeling that you are working and improving.
“I think there’s a lot of motivation for us to step on the court and try and get better again and improve in doubles together. “I believe that next time we are going to go to another big tournament we’ll just have the motivation to fight again. It will be a new result. Just try to win more slams and do well.”
The Americans were playing together in a major for the first time after Townsend returned this year following the birth of her son in March 2021. They couldn’t match the experience of the Czechs, who began playing together as juniors. “We didn’t play so many tournaments this year. It’s so exciting that we did so well in grand slams,” Siniakova said.
“I would just say that we are trying to improve each other, and it’s working.” Seeded third in Flushing Meadows, they didn’t appear like they would win after McNally and Townsend built a 4-1 lead in the second set. The Americans went back ahead 5-4, but the Czechs won 12 of the final 15 points to take the set, then rolled to a 4-0 lead in the third.
“I felt as we took the second set, I think from there on we started to be a better team,” Krejcikova said. “I’m really, really happy that we won this final slam that we were missing.” Though disappointed by the loss, Townsend said it gave her confidence for next year after playing such important matches again so soon.
“I’m just super motivated to continue on and show my son, like, we were so close,” Townsend said. “Like, you know, when you look back, you’re so close. It didn’t happen this time, but that doesn’t mean that you stop.” It was the second straight loss in the US Open final for McNally, who partnered last year with Coco Gauff. Siniakova will replace Gauff at the top of the WTA doubles rankings. Krejcikova will climb to No. 2 and McNally will vault from No. 22 back into the top 10.
