Taylor Townsend achieved a career Grand Slam on Friday with her US Open women's doubles victory, using the moment to highlight the increasing representation of Black athletes in professional tennis.
Townsend and her partner Katerina Siniakova defeated Americans Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 in the final. The win marked Townsend's fourth major championship and Siniakova's 12th.
"I take a lot of pride in this, being a Black woman here," Townsend stated to the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium after the match. She noted the significant presence of Black athletes in the day's events, with two Black women in the doubles final and two Black men, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, in the singles semifinals. "There's two Black women in the finals, two Black men in the semifinals. This is a phenomenal time for tennis, for inspiration, for representation."
Townsend also acknowledged former player Chanda Rubin, who was present for the ceremony. "Chanda, it means a lot for you to be standing here as well because you paved the way for us, so thank you," Townsend said. "This is a phenomenal time for tennis and it’s just getting started."
The doubles final saw Townsend and Siniakova rally after losing the first set. Siniakova, the world's top-ranked doubles player, expressed pride in their hard-fought victory. "There was lot of nerves. We were really fighting for this one, so I´m just really proud. We did it."
Townsend's victory completed a career Grand Slam, with previous major titles including Wimbledon in 2024, the Australian Open in 2025, and the French Open earlier in 2026. The partnership with Siniakova has now won multiple major titles.
For Krueger and Montgomery, the runner-up finish represented an impressive run as wild card entrants. The pair had previously won the U.S. Open girls' doubles title five years prior.
Townsend and Siniakova secured a measure of revenge for their loss in the US Open final the previous year. "If flipping the script had a face, you'd see my face," Townsend remarked on their comeback.
Historically, Black athletes have achieved significant success in tennis, though Arthur Ashe remains the only Black man to win a US Open singles title in the Open Era, a feat he accomplished in 1968. Other notable Black champions include Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Althea Gibson, and Coco Gauff.
Tennis has seen a rise in popularity across various demographics, with a notable increase among Black Americans. Data from 2025 indicated that 27.3 million Americans played the sport, a new high for the sixth consecutive year. This growth included a 14 percent increase among Black players, according to analysis by the National Golf Foundation.