Peyton Stearns defeated Taylor Townsend 7-6(8), 7-5 on Sunday to win the 2026 ATX Open in Austin, with the University of Texas product capturing her second-career WTA singles title in the two-hour, 22-minute final.
Stearns, currently ranked No. 53, overcame early deficits against the world No. 87, with the left-hander leading for almost the entire first set while holding two set points on Stearns's serve at 5-3. However, Stearns saved both opportunities to stay alive.
Townsend also earned a set point in the tiebreak, before Stearns fought back to eventually win the set on her fifth opportunity at 8-8 in the breaker.
The second set saw Townsend twice erase break deficits, standing two points from forcing a deciding set. Instead, Stearns held serve from 40-0 down at 5-5 after her fellow US star pushed the game to deuce. That crucial hold sparked a three-game run that sealed Stearns's title.
The loss marked Townsend's first WTA singles final appearance after winning the 2024 Wimbledon doubles title alongside Barbora Krejcikova in 2024.
Meanwhile, Stearns reached her first tour-level singles final in nearly two years, with the 2022 NCAA champion last contesting a final at the 2024 Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem. The 24-year-old fought through adversity all tournament, losing the opening set of her first Austin match and winning three consecutive three-setters before the final.
Taylor Townsend went on to secure Sunday's ATX Open doubles title alongside Storm Hunter, as the top seeds defeated Eudice Chong and Liang En-shuo 6-3, 6-4.
Tennis icon Venus Williams fell to Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of the ATX Open on Tuesday, extending the wild card entry's 2026 winless streak.
Williams started strong against Tomljanovic, as the 45-year-old broke serve immediately and raced to a 2-0 lead. She went on to deliver vintage winners, capitalizing on consecutive Tomljanovic double faults.
However, Williams could not maintain her momentum. Tomljanovic rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the first set before Williams held two points to hold serve for 4-2 but failed to convert. She then held two points to level the set at 5-5, but Tomljanovic denied the US star with creative shotmaking.
Tomljanovic sealed the first set after a wildly spun slice caught the tape for a winner. The second set proved less competitive, with Tomljanovic winning two crucial multi-deuce games to take control.
The loss marked the pair's first-ever meeting. However, Tomljanovic defeated Serena Williams 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 in the 2022 US Open, in what would become the younger Williams sister's final professional match.
Tuesday's victory completed Tomljanovic's historic sibling sweep.
"Venus and Serena tend to bring the best out in me mentally," Tomljanovic said postmatch. "Because I always think, 'What would they do in that moment?' I try to make it work for me, instead of against me."
What's next for Venus Williams after her 2026 ATX Open exit
Venus Williams entered the 2026 ATX Open as a wildcard, going on to remain winless this season with a 0-3 record across three tournaments.
After Tuesday's win, Tomljanovic advances to face No. 2 seed Iva Jovic in the Austin tournament's second round.
Top seed Jessica Pegula withdrew from the 2026 ATX Open on Monday with a left knee injury, with the defending champion exitng just days after winning her 10th career WTA title at the Dubai Championships.
The world No. 5 was scheduled to face Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova in her opening match. China's Yuan Yue subsequently replaced Pegula in the draw, with 18-year-old Iva Jovic taking over as the tournament's top seed.
"I am disappointed to not be able to defend my title in Austin," Pegula said in a statement. "I love this event and have such great memories from last year. Hopefully I can come back in the future."
The 32-year-old won five matches in five days during her Dubai title run, battling through back-to-back three-set victories at the WTA 1000 event. The WTA Tour's grueling schedule — the subject of recent controversy — may have contributed to her knee injury.
Pegula is currently riding 13-2 2026 record, with her only losses coming to Marta Kostyuk in the Brisbane semifinals and Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open semifinals. She's has now reached seven consecutive semifinals dating back to last year's US Open — the most by any player since Agnieszka Radwanska in 2016.
The US star dominated in her Austin debut last season. She dropped just one set en route to the 2025 title, after defeating McCartney Kessler 7-5, 6-2 in the final.
Discussing her durability after Dubai, Pegula noted that early-career injuries impacted her performances on tour. Despite the wear and tear, however, she said she feels as healthy as ever.
"I'm old, you can say it," Pegula laughed. "I don't feel that old because I had so many injuries in my early 20s... I was able to mature and find my game and believe in what I needed to do through the ups and downs."
What's next for Jessica Pegula on the 2026 WTA Tour
Injury depending, Pegula will next hit the court for the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells on March 5th. She'll then return to the Miami Open on March 15th, looking to better her 2025 final appearance.