Zhang and Stosur crowned US Open 2021 women’s doubles champions
New York, USA, 13 September 2021 | Leigh Rogers
On the 10-year anniversary of Stosur’s memorable 2011 singles triumph at the US Open, the Australian is leaving New York with another Grand Slam trophy.
Stosur and China’s Zhang Shuai are the US Open 2021 women’s doubles champions, securing the title with a hard-fought 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory against American teens Coco Gauff and Caty McNally in the championship match in New York today.
It was a high-quality final, with just three breaks of serve throughout the one-hour and 54-minute battle.
Stosur and Zhang hit 39 winners to 37, with their experience proving telling against 17-year-old Gauff and 19-year-old McNally in the tense final stages.
A patriotic Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd tried to will Gauff and McNally to victory, but the Australian-Chinese combination showed nerves of steel under pressure.
They broke McNally’s serve in the eighth game of the deciding set, then Stosur calmly served out an impressive victory.
“It was just such a tight tussle the whole match, a few points here and there,” Stosur said. “We stuck together as a team, played aggressive, went for it as we always do, and it pays off.”
This is Stosur and Zhang’s second major title as a team, having also won the Australian Open in 2019 together.
It is Stosur’s fourth career Grand Slam women’s doubles title in total and her second at the US Open. She won her first alongside American Lisa Raymond in 2005.
“It’s just a phenomenal feeling to have this trophy again 16 years later,” Stosur said.
This result extends Stosur and Zhang’s current winning streak to 11 matches, one of many impressive numbers stemming from today’s victory for the 37-year-old Australian.
This is the 12th time an Australian has won the US Open women’s doubles title in the Open era.
Stosur joins Margaret Court, Judy Dalton and Wendy Turnbull as the only Australian women to win multiple doubles titles in New York – and becomes the first to achieve the feat in almost four decades.
The former world No.1 also sets a new Australian record for longest span, at 16 years, between US Open women’s doubles titles.
