Peyton Stearns, Taylor Townsend to meet in all-American Austin final

The fourth-seeded Stearns and unseeded Townsend won their semifinal matches at the ATX Open in Texas.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 1:47am

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For the second consecutive year, an American will win the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, as fourth-seeded Peyton Stearns and unseeded Taylor Townsend won their respective semifinal matches on Saturday and will face off in the final on Sunday. Stearns defeated Australia's Kimberly Birrell 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, while Townsend swept fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 7-6(5), 6-3 to reach her first career WTA singles final.

Why it matters

The all-American final at the ATX Open continues the trend of rising American women's tennis players making deep runs in tournaments, following Jessica Pegula's victory in last year's all-American final. This matchup also highlights the depth of American talent on the women's tour.

The details

Stearns, a former NCAA champion and All-American at the University of Texas in Austin, needed over two hours to defeat Birrell, saving 5 of 10 break points and converting 7 of 10 of her own. Townsend, meanwhile, rallied from an early 0-4 deficit in the first set against Krueger, winning six of the next seven games and the tiebreaker before cruising in the second set.

  • The semifinal matches were played on Saturday, March 1, 2026.
  • The all-American final will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2026.

The players

Peyton Stearns

The fourth-seeded American player who was an All-American and national singles champion, as well as part of two NCAA team titles, during her time at the University of Texas in Austin.

Taylor Townsend

The unseeded American player who is making her first career WTA singles final appearance.

Kimberly Birrell

The Australian player who fell to Stearns in the semifinals.

Ashlyn Krueger

The American player who lost to Townsend in the semifinals.

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What’s next

The all-American final between Peyton Stearns and Taylor Townsend will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2026.

The takeaway

The continued success of American women's tennis players, highlighted by an all-American final at the ATX Open for the second straight year, demonstrates the depth of talent and rising stars in the U.S. women's game.