Australian Open 2026: Mertens and Zhang, Harrison and Skupski win doubles titles

Elise Mertens marked her return to the No. 1 ranking in women’s doubles by teaming with China’s Zhang Shuai to win the Australian Open title on Saturday (Jan 31, 2026), later joined by American Christian Harrison and Britain’s Neal Skupski to win the men’s doubles trophy.

After four years apart as a team, Mertens and Zhang trailed 3-0 and 4-1 in the first set but rallied to beat Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (4), 6-4. Mertens and Zhang led the final set 5-0 before sustaining a comeback attempt as Danilina and Krunic won four games in a row.

Harrison served an ace on match point to give him and Skupski a victory in the men’s final by the same score as the women’s (7-6 (4), 6-4) over Australian duo Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans. Kubler entered the match with a 14-3 doubles record at his home major.

Harrison and Skupski, who both competed at the ATP Finals with different partners last year, linked up as a team for the first time earlier this month in Adelaide, where they reached the semi-finals.

Currently ranked No. 6 in doubles, Mertens, who won the Wimbledon doubles title with Veronika Kudermetova last year, will return to the No. 1 ranking after the Australian Open.

That will mark the Belgian player’s 40th cumulative week as No. 1 in doubles and was guaranteed regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s Melbourne Park final.

The win on Saturday (January 31, 2026) was Mertens’ sixth Grand Slam doubles title, including 2021 and 2024 at Melbourne Park. Zhang now has three, including the 2019 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open.

It was their first Grand Slam trophy as a team, having lost the 2022 Wimbledon final in their last appearance together.

“This is the icing on the cake,” said Mertens. “We formed a team at the very last minute… this was our first tournament together again. In the second round we saved three match points, so that took us to another level. An incredible two weeks.”

Mertens reached the fourth round of the women’s singles at Melbourne Park this year before being defeated by eventual finalist Elena Rybakina.

Zhang says she and Mertens are adapting well.

“We know how to play finals, we know how to win finals,” said Zhang. “We’re both very calm. If something doesn’t work… we always adapt.”

The mixed doubles final was played on Friday (January 30, 2026), when Australians Olivia Gadecki and John Peers became the first team to win consecutive titles since 1989 after beating French duo Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.