Peyton Stearns says lack of crowd support vs Williams sisters 'stung'

Mason native Peyton Stearns and her doubles partner Marta Kostyuk stunned the tennis world by defeating Serena and Venus Williams in the Cincinnati Open WTA doubles draw. Stearns, who is 24 years old and a former grade school student at St. Margaret of York, expressed her desire for more enthusiastic support from her hometown crowd during a post-match interview.

She remarked that playing in her hometown was amazing and hoped that the next round would bring louder cheers for her and Kostyuk. Stearns acknowledged that she had expected a smaller crowd, but felt disappointed that only a few family and friends were showing support. Despite the setback, she urged her fans to be more enthusiastic in the following match, promising not to hold any grudges as long as they return with more love and support.

Stearns, a 2022 NCAA champion for the Texas Longhorns, concluded her sophomore season with a remarkable 33-2 overall record in singles play. In 2023, she achieved a significant milestone by reaching the third round of the French Open in women's singles, thanks to an upset victory over Jelena Ostapenko, her first-ever Top 20 win.

Stearns, who has lived just five miles from the Lindner Family Tennis Center her entire life, made her first appearance at the Mason tournament in August 2021 as a wild card, but lost in women's singles qualifying to Su-Wei Hsieh.