MELBOURNE, Australia – Olivia Gadecki and John Peers became the first team to win consecutive mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open since 1989 after beating French duo Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 on Friday.
The Australians trailed 7-5 in the final set tiebreak before coming back to lead 9-7. On match point and with Peers serving, Guinard hit a backhand into the net to seal victory for the home players at Rod Laver Arena.
Wildcard entries Gadecki and Peers were the first reigning mixed doubles champions at the Australian Open to return to the final the following year since Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor in 2015. The 23-year-old Gadecki was born 13 years after Jim Pugh and Jana Novotna went back-to-back in 1988 and 1989.
“A bit shocked,” Peers said. ‘That could have gone either way. I was just glad we stuck with it… it was on a knife edge.”
The French team won the opening set on their second set point when Peers hit a shot wide, three games after Mladenovic double faulted on set point and the Australian team broke to keep the set alive.
In the second set, Gadecki and Peers went ahead 3–1 during a service break and then held on to take a 4–1 lead, winning 13 of 15 points to give them control of the set and level the match.
Mladenovic was attempting to win her fourth Grand Slam mixed doubles title – winning Wimbledon in 2013 and the Australian Open in 2014 with Nestor and the 2022 Australian Open in mixed doubles with Ivan Dodig. She also has six Grand Slam women’s doubles titles to her name.
“Winning a Grand Slam once is very difficult, but defending it is even more difficult… congratulations to you!” Mladenovic said to Gadecki and Peers.
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