Thirty-two competitors. Fifteen countries. One city. One trophy.
On Championship Sunday in Austin, fourth seed and former Texas Longhorn Peyton Stearns emerged as our 2026 ATX Open champion.
With a star studded crowd, Matthew McConaughey showed up for Stearns’ matches, whereas late at night, facing the blistering sun, all of it. And Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas was also in attendance during the finals, supporting women in sports and even joining on court for the trophy ceremony.
From the opening games, Stearns was tested. Down 5–3, 15–40 in the opening set, she was forced to hold serve and then find a break just to stay alive. She did exactly that. After digging out the hold, she broke at 0–40 and pushed the set into a tiebreak that quickly turned into a battle of nerve.
Stearns surged ahead 6–3 in the tiebreaker, but Townsend clawed back to level at 6–6 and even earned another set point. Townsend pushed in front 8–7 for her third set point, yet Stearns refused to blink. She increased the pressure on Townsend’s forehand and closed out the tiebreak 10–8 — a first set defined by composure in the biggest moments.
The second set was just as tight. After early holds by both finalists, four consecutive breaks beginning at 2–2 brought the match to 4-4 and energized the crowd. That seventh game was the longest of the match, at 13 minutes and 19 points long. Townsend held serve for a 5–4 edge and rallied from 40–0 in the next game to keep the pressure on. But Stearns steadied, held serve, then stepped inside the baseline to break at 30-40, dictating with her fiery forehand.
Serving for the championship at 6–5, 40–15, Stearns played bold, first-strike tennis on match point, forcing one final error to secure a 7-6 (8), 7-5 victory – and her second career WTA Tour title.
Behind the scenes, it wasn’t just grit carrying her through. Stearns had a new team in her corner this week – Roberto Ortega, who joined her just three weeks ago in Doha, and Eric Ferguson, whom she began working with in October and who was on-site in Austin. Stearns said after her win that their presence was crucial to her success, especially after the physical battle in yesterday’s 90 degree match. Managing her body and navigating the cramps made all the difference for her on Sunday.
But this story didn’t start this week.
Flash back four years. The turning point came in 2022 — a breakout season that reshaped Stearns’ career. That spring, she won the NCAA Singles Championship at Texas and turned professional in June.
The Dropshot Series, launched in 2019 with a vision to create meaningful pathways for players to take the next step in the pro game, became part of her rise. In October 2022, Stearns captured the ITF 50 title at the University of Texas. With that victory came a main-draw wildcard into the inaugural ATX Open in 2023, which she took advantage of, earning her first WTA Tour main draw victory and making a run to the quarterfinals.
For Dropshot Series, Stearns became the proof of concept. From finishing 2022 at No. 209, she surged to No. 43 in 2023 and has stayed in the top 100 since. Flash forward to today, just a few seasons later, and she’s returned to Austin not as a wildcard, not as a prospect — but as champion.
True full-circle moments are rare in sport. This week, Austin witnessed one.
