Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic has achieved a remarkable milestone, securing her fifth year-end No. 1 ranking in doubles. This accomplishment places her in a tie with the legendary Martina Navratilova, marking a significant moment in WTA doubles history.
Reflecting on her achievement, Siniakova expressed, “It’s incredible, and I’m genuinely thrilled to have done it once more. This season has been filled with unforgettable moments, and I feel so grateful to lift this trophy again.”
Entering the WTA Finals, Siniakova needed to achieve two round-robin victories to clinch her title, which she successfully accomplished. Partnering with Taylor Townsend, they faced off against Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani in their opening match, securing a 6-2, 3-6, [10-6] win. The duo followed up this performance with another victory against Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, winning 6-4, 7-6(3).
After her impressive performances, Siniakova received her year-end No. 1 trophy in a special ceremony held in Riyadh on Wednesday. Her successful season in doubles included winning four titles with three different partners—two of which were with Townsend at both the Australian Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships, while she also captured titles with Barbora Krejcikova in Seoul and Storm Hunter in Wuhan.
Siniakova’s triumph in Melbourne earlier this year was particularly notable as it marked her tenth Grand Slam women’s doubles title, with seven victories alongside Krejcikova, two with Townsend, and one with Coco Gauff from the previous year’s French Open.
In their next round-robin encounter at the WTA Finals, Siniakova and Townsend will face Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider on Thursday, having already secured their place in the semi-finals following their strong start.
In other developments from the tournament, Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Italy’s Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday. The match was pivotal, as the winners secured their spot in the last four of the competition. Both teams had previously faced each other multiple times this season, but Kudermetova and Mertens were dominant in this encounter, showcasing superior aggression and tactical play.
Kudermetova remarked on her strategy, saying, “I aimed to stay aggressive from the first point to the last,” highlighting her impactful style of play throughout the match. Errani and Paolini struggled to find their rhythm, possibly hampered by Paolini’s ongoing health issues during the week.
In a later match, Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko continued their strong form by defeating Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs 6-3, 6-1, completing an unbeaten run in group play. Although the match had no bearing on their advancement, both players enjoyed the opportunity to compete freely. Hsieh noted, “I needed to have fun tonight since we already knew we were through,” underlining their relaxed approach.
As they move forward in the tournament, Hsieh and Ostapenko, who earlier reached finals at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open, are aiming to secure their first title together, making their upcoming matches even more significant as the WTA Finals progress.
