Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend defeated Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini 7-6 (0), 6-1 in the Miami Open doubles final to become the sixth women’s doubles team to complete the Sunshine Double. The victory came in 1 hour and 19 minutes and followed their title at Indian Wells, making them just the second team to achieve the feat since 2019. The match was interrupted by a nearly three-hour rain delay and moved from Stadium to Grandstand court to accommodate the ATP singles final.
“It’s been a really long month, but so successful for both of us,” Townsend said during the trophy presentation. “It’s really exciting. Everyone was trying to put it on us about the Sunshine Double. Well, we did it.” The championship match began on Stadium court but was halted by rain with Errani and Paolini serving down 5-4 in the first set. When play resumed after the delay, Siniakova and Townsend dominated the tiebreak, winning all seven points to take the opener in 54 minutes.
Siniakova expressed her gratitude for her partner during the trophy ceremony. “Thank you so much for playing,” Siniakova said. “It’s a pleasure to kind of (get to know) you more. So thank you for playing with me and making it fun. I’m really enjoying this time with you.” The Czech player’s backhand clipped the line on championship point to seal the victory. In the second set, Siniakova and Townsend won six straight games after the Italians held serve in the opening game, dropping just six points in the process.
The Sunshine Double achievement places Siniakova and Townsend alongside Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova (1990), Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs (2002), Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur (2006, 2007), Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza (2015), and Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka (2019). The victory marks the first Miami Open title for both players despite their previous success at the tournament. Siniakova reached the final in 2018 with Barbora Krejcikova but lost to Ashleigh Barty and Coco Vandeweghe, while Townsend previously fell in the final with Leylah Fernandez against Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
For Siniakova, this represents her 35th doubles title and third of the season, adding to a resume that includes 10 Grand Slam doubles titles, one mixed doubles Grand Slam, two Olympic gold medals, a WTA Finals title and eight WTA 1000 titles. Townsend now owns 14 WTA doubles titles and four WTA 1000 trophies as a two-time Grand Slam champion and seven-time finalist across doubles and mixed doubles. Both players are former World No. 1 in doubles rankings.
The Italian duo of Errani and Paolini had entered the final with a perfect 5-0 record in WTA 1000 finals and were seeking their first title of the season. They had previously defeated Siniakova and Townsend 6-2, 6-2 in the Indian Wells semifinals, making this victory particularly satisfying for the champions. The Italians held three set points in the first set before the rain delay but were unable to capitalize when play resumed.
With their Miami triumph, Siniakova and Townsend are projected to rise to No. 3 in the Race to Riyadh as they pursue another WTA Finals berth. Townsend is set to return to the Top 5 of the PIF WTA Doubles Rankings. Errani and Paolini, despite the loss, are projected to climb to No. 3 in the rankings and No. 6 in the race. The Italian pair will now focus on defending their titles in Rome and at the French Open during the upcoming clay court season.