"It's one of the highlights of my career," Townsend relishes her first place in doubles after winning Washington with Zhang

This Saturday, Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai won the women's doubles tournament in Washington. The American and the Chinese duo dominated the pair composed of Caroline Dolehide and Sofia Kenin (6-1, 6-1), and subsequently lifted the trophy.

The day before, after qualifying for the final following Raducanu and Rybakina's retirement, Townsend learned that she would become the world No. 1 in doubles for the first time in her career starting Monday.

The 29-year-old player spoke out after the end of her week, which also saw her reach the quarter-finals in the singles tournament against Leylah Fernandez over the past few days on the courts of the American capital.

"It feels like a dream and it's undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career. It's one of the goals I set when I started to realize that it was something achievable.

I loved watching doubles matches, particularly Martina Navratilova, and it’s a tremendous honor to join the list of exceptional players who have reached the number one ranking.

I've had to go through some of the most difficult and personal trials. Very intimate topics that were the subject of conversations around the world when I was a child.

That has made me who I am today, it has allowed me to appreciate every step of my journey, and the fact that people can tell me, from the outside, 'you look so happy when you play.' It's a victory," assured Townsend for Tennis Up To Date.