US OPEN

September 5, 2025

Katerina Siniakova

Taylor Townsend

Press Conference

DABROWSKI-ROUTLIFFE/Siniakova-Townsend

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Before you take that sip of Honey Deuce, can you both reflect on your tournament? I mean, you both played singles and doubles. Looking back, can you just reflect on it?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: You want to go first?

KATERINA SINIAKOVA: Yeah, you will be much longer, huh (laughing)?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I'll try to make it short (laughing).

KATERINA SINIAKOVA: I definitely enjoyed these two weeks. I mean, as we spoke earlier, I finally felt like I'm feeling the ball here. I'm fighting here on the surface.

So I think we play a lot of good matches. We had fun. Even I lost first round in singles. I mean, I really enjoy these two, three weeks here. I'm just proud of us.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: My turn.

KATERINA SINIAKOVA: Keep it short.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Got you. No, I mean, for me it's been three weeks. Long three weeks, but I've really enjoyed it.

You know, this is part of tennis, and I really feel like I've learned a lot over these last couple of weeks. Not only about myself, but you know, even just me as a tennis player.

You know, today was challenging, but we fought, and that's all that we can ask for. Like I said going into our semi, I was, like, I just want us to be better and just have fun. I felt like we didn't have fun in the semi of Wimbledon. When we're smiling and we're trying our best, that's what matters.

So for me, you know, of course I wanted to win and have the trophy. I'm probably going to do charcuterie board on this trophy, but -- that would be pretty cool, right, to be served charcuterie on a US Open platter? Subtle flex (laughing).

Yeah, I mean, I'm just really proud. It can be sometimes overwhelming when you want to win so badly, but ultimately, I said on the court, I feel like I've already won no matter what the result was. So we gave it everything, and that's all that matters. We'll have other shots.

Q. Unlucky today, ladies. You've had a lot of success against Gaby and Erin in the past. What was it about today that made it difficult for you in terms of getting past them?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I personally think that the court conditions were pretty tough today just because the roof was closed when we were warming up, and then they opened it. There was a really big shadow, obviously I'm sure that you guys saw, which cut the court in half. It was hard to pick up the ball coming from certain directions, and it was, like, very quick adjustments that we had to make when we changed sides.

So I just feel like they played -- you know, especially on the serving on the sun side, I think that they played really solid, served really well, and made it hard for us to get in the rallies and in the points.

I mean, I just feel like personally they played the big points better. I mean, we were down 3-0 in the second set, came back. We were down a break in the first set, came back. So it was very small margins that we lost by, and there were some really great points.

There were some just hit the line or too good here or there, and that's a part of tennis, but that's also doubles, right? You got the whole court, so a lot more real estate.

For me I just felt like they played the bigger points better, and they were a little bit more consistent, especially off of the returns. In doubles your serve and return are the two biggest things that kind of puts you at an advantage in the points, and I felt like they did that better today.

Q. Taylor, you talked on court about how this tournament changed your life this year. I wanted to know what areas of your life, and was there ever a time in your life where you ever felt like you would never get to a place like this?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Definitely never been to place like this (laughing). I feel like this tournament changed my life in terms of exposure. You know, the obvious. I mean, my social media followers have quadrupled. It's crazy.

This is not my first Grand Slam finals in doubles. It's not my first round of 16, but it just felt so different this time. You know, I really feel like the type of tennis that I played and just the way that the person and the player that I am now really gained a lot of respect in the locker room amongst my counterparts.

Even Novak said something to me. Jannik said something to me. Like, Hey, like, you played really well, keep going, keep going. Everyone was watching.

Even sometimes when you think, oh, nobody is, like, whatever, but they're watching. For them to actually go out of their way to comment something to me, it means everything.

So, like I said, I know that I'm on the right track, and I know that I'm doing all of the things necessary to be able to, you know, play my best tennis. That's all that I strive for every day is just to try to do my best and show up as my best.

So, you know, I think the biggest thing that has changed for me, too, is just being able to truly show up as myself publicly and for people to be able to receive that as it is. Not feeling like I have to hide or be something that I'm not and really just living in my truth. It's very liberating and freeing. For me, it's been fun.

Q. Ladies, congratulations on a great run. Taylor, given that we're celebrating Althea Gibson breaking the color barrier 75 years ago, and this year we had yourself in the French Open final, Evan King in the French Open final, Coco Gauff, French Open champion, yourself here in the US Open final. Althea was also a doubles champion as well as singles. Do you almost feel as if this is kind of synergy with yourself? Even Naomi Osaka getting so close to a final. Given the celebration of Althea, do you almost feel this is like synergy?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I definitely think that it's been amazing that the USTA decided to honor Althea this year. Especially with the way that, you know, women of color and men of color have showed up in this event has been really great. So I do think that it's synergy.

You never know why things happen the way that they do, but for me I felt very honored to be able to kind of carry and hold that flag and that torch and to be able to continue to move it forward. You know, I feel like representation is very important, and you only need one.

Althea was for us, as women of color, the first. Arthur Ashe was the first man of color for us to be able to really see that, performing in this arena at the highest level as possible, no matter what challenges that we're faced with.

So being able to navigate through adversity, hardships, you know, criticism and, like you said, synergy because that's a lot of things that I felt like I was able to overcome at the US Open just for me with my history, even in my story.

So I'm really proud of being able to stand here, to be able to hold a trophy, because it's only two teams, right? There's a winner and a second place, but there's only two teams that get a trophy. There are only two people that get a trophy at the end of these two weeks. Of course, we wanted the winners' trophy, but we gave it everything.

I'm proud to be able to stand on the stage and be able to speak and, you know, represent. I've enjoyed every moment of it. I've enjoyed this whole time and this whole journey. I'm sure you guys have too. You guys got some tea and drama, so congrats.

I've enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to continuing to carry the torch in any way that I can, but more so, representing myself and my culture the best that I can.