The 2026–27 women’s SDA Pro Tour season opened at the Cynwyd Club with the $15,000 Philadelphia Open, a Silver-level event that saw third seeds Kayley Leonard and Olivia Walsh claim the first title of the new season.
Leonard partnered with Walsh for the first time in the absence of her regular partner, Maria Elena Ubina. Walsh entered the new season following a breakthrough win at the end of 2025–26 and, after another strong performance in Philadelphia, continues to establish herself as a contender for a place among the tour’s top four.
The third seeds faced their biggest test in the semifinals against top seeds and defending champions Georgina Stoker and Lauren West, who also served as tournament organizers, with Stoker the Head Professional at Cynwyd Club.
The match developed into a five-game battle that swung back and forth throughout. Much of the contest played out along the right wall, where Walsh and West fought relentlessly for position and control. Leonard and Walsh eventually came through the five-game test to secure their place in the final.
Elsewhere in the draw, Lilly Taylor and Caroline Spahr produced one of the standout results of the weekend, upsetting fourth seeds Katie Tutrone and Jess Davies in five games in the quarterfinals. Both Taylor and Spahr showed significant improvement after a summer of hard work and carried that form into a competitive semifinal against second seeds Nikki Todd and Line Hansen. Todd and Hansen ultimately prevailed 3–1, but not without being pushed by the unseeded pairing.
That set up a final between Leonard and Walsh and the new partnership of Todd and Hansen.
The final opened with Leonard and Walsh firmly in control, racing out to big early leads and putting Todd and Hansen under immediate pressure. The second seeds struggled to find any rhythm in the opening two games, conceding seven or eight points at the start of each before beginning to settle into the rallies. By the time Todd and Hansen found their footing, the damage had largely been done, with Leonard and Walsh dictating the pace and taking a commanding two-game lead.
The momentum shifted in the third. Todd and Hansen slowed the pace, used the door more effectively and began maneuvering Leonard and Walsh out of position. The change disrupted the third seeds’ rhythm and brought Todd and Hansen back into the contest.
Leonard, however, looked increasingly confident on her backhand throughout the weekend. She was assertive when balls came through the middle and worked effectively with Walsh to control that space as the match moved toward a deciding fifth game.
Todd and Hansen made the stronger start to the fifth, opening a 6–2 lead and putting themselves within sight of completing the comeback. From there, the match changed dramatically.
Leonard and Walsh powered through 13 of the next 15 points, turning a four-point deficit into a commanding finish. They closed out the fifth 15–8 to secure the Philadelphia Open title and become the first women’s champions of the 2026–27 SDA Pro Tour season.
For Leonard, the victory adds another title after a successful 2025–26 campaign alongside Ubina. For Walsh, it builds on the breakthrough she made at the end of last season and provides an early statement as she looks to continue her climb up the rankings this year.