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The ATX Open final is set — and it’s an all-American showdown on Championship Sunday
For the second straight year, an all-American final headlines the ATX Open, with fourth-seeded Peyton Stearns set to face wildcard Taylor Townsend for the singles title in Austin.
Stearns Breaks Through at Her “Second Home”
For 24-year-old Stearns, this moment carries added meaning.
“I consider this my second home… I know this is only a WTA 250, but it’s my Grand Slam,” she said earlier this week.
Austin has long felt special for the former Texas Longhorn, but in four previous appearances she had never advanced to the final — until now.
Stearns sealed her spot with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 semifinal win over Australia’s Kimberly Birrell, marking her first Tour-level final since winning Rabat in 2024. Along the way, she defeated Francesca Jones, Kaja Juvan and Oksana Selekhmeteva, logging five hours and 43 minutes on court.
The World No. 62 now advances to the third WTA final of her career. Her previous two finals — a title in Rabat (2024) and a runner-up finish in Bogotá (2023) — came on clay. Sunday will be her first career hard-court final at Tour level.
Playing in what she calls her “second home” has come with extra support. Stearns even received a pep talk from Texas icon Matthew McConaughey during the week — a fitting touch for a Longhorn chasing her first Austin final.
A title would be her second — and her most personal.
Townsend’s Long-Awaited Breakthrough
Standing across the net is a player who has waited 13 seasons for this moment.
Wildcard Taylor Townsend, competing in her 13th year on the WTA Tour, reached her first career Tour-level singles final with a straight-sets win over fellow American Ashlyn Krueger, 7-6(8), 6-3.
The semifinal tested her early. Townsend trailed 4-0 in the opening set before regrouping, saving a set point in the tiebreak and taking control from there.
Her path to the final also included wins over Linda Fruhvirtova, Nikola Bartunkova and Rebeka Masarova. Against Fruhvirtova, she saved a match point before turning the match in her favor — an early test that set the tone for her week. Townsend has spent six hours and 36 minutes on court, slightly more than Stearns, showing resilience to match her variety and conviction.
While this marks her first Tour-level singles final, Townsend is no stranger to championship stages. A two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, she spent eight weeks as World No. 1 in doubles last season and has competed in 19 WTA doubles finals. Sunday presents a new opportunity — her first chance to translate that major-stage success into a singles title run.
She also holds a 1–0 edge over Stearns in their head-to-head meetings, adding another layer of intrigue to Sunday’s matchup.
A Week Defined by American Momentum
There’s an added storyline to this final.
Earlier this week, Stearns and Townsend shared the court in doubles on opposite sides of the net — Stearns partnering Venus Williams, Townsend teaming with Storm Hunter. Just days later, they meet again, this time with the singles title on the line.
For the first time in tournament history, three Americans reached the semifinals. Now it comes down to two — an all-American final for the second year running.
Stearns is chasing her second career title.
Townsend is seeking her first.
By Sunday evening, the ATX Open will crown its fourth champion.
