US Open Women’s Doubles Championship
In a thrilling final held at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe clinched the US Open women’s doubles championship, marking their second victory in three years. The dynamic duo, seeded third in the tournament, faced off against top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova, triumphing with a score of 6-4, 6-4.
Significance of the Win
This win is especially significant for Dabrowski, as it represents her first major title since her breast cancer treatment, which she bravely postponed to compete at Wimbledon last year, where she and Routliffe also reached the final.
Controversy Surrounding Townsend
On the other side of the net, Townsend and Siniakova were seeking to add to their impressive list of achievements after claiming both the Wimbledon and Australian Open titles earlier this year. Throughout the tournament, Townsend gained considerable attention, partly due to a controversial exchange during her singles match. After a comment made by Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko suggesting Townsend lacked “class” and “education,” discussions arose regarding potential racial overtones.
Townsend, who identifies as Black, clarified that she did not perceive the comments as racially charged but acknowledged their connection to a longstanding stereotype about educational status within her community.
The situation drew significant media coverage, but ultimately, Ostapenko apologized via social media, attributing the misunderstanding to her language background.
Performance in the Tournament
Despite the drama surrounding her singles run, Townsend made a strong impression, advancing to the fourth round before being eliminated by Barbora Krejcikova, notably missing out on eight match points, which would have been her first solo quarterfinal appearance in a Grand Slam. In doubles, the pairing of Townsend and Siniakova reached their fifth Grand Slam final, having earlier dispatched top competitors including Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez, whose wild-card story captured the audience’s admiration.
Prize Money and Upcoming Matches
For their victory, Dabrowski, a Canadian aged 33, and Routliffe, 30, from New Zealand, each took home a $1 million prize, which is equal to what the winners of the men’s final will receive, underscoring the tournament’s commitment to equal prize money. The men’s final, pitting Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos against Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski, is set to take place on Saturday.
