MELBOURNE, Australia — Olivia Gadecki and John Pierce became the first team since 1989 to win back-to-back Australian Open mixed doubles titles on Friday, beating French pair Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.
Australia trailed 7-5 in the final set tie-break but eventually led 9-7. On match point, with Pierce serving, Guinard hit a backhand into the net to seal the victory for the home side on Rod Laver Arena.
Wild card players Gadecki and Pierce became the first defending Australian Open mixed doubles champions to return to the finals the following year since Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor in 2015. The 23-year-old Gadecki was born 13 years after Jim Pugh and Yana Novotna had back-to-back contests in 1988 and 1989.
“Olivia, I’m a little speechless,” Pierce said during the trophy presentation. “Thank you for playing with me again, we had so much fun this week and somehow managed to sneak away but it was so much fun sharing the course with you.”
France won the first set on the second set point when Pierce’s shot went wide. Three games later Mladenovic double-faulted on the set point and Australia broke to hold on to the set.
In the second set, Gadecki and Pierce led 3-1 in a service game, then held on to a 4-1 lead, winning 13 of 15 points to take control of the match and tie the match.
Mladenovic is trying to win her fourth Grand Slam mixed doubles title – she won Wimbledon in 2013 and the 2014 Australian Open with Nestor and the 2022 Australian Open mixed doubles title with Ivan Dodig. She also holds six Grand Slam women’s doubles titles.
“Winning a Grand Slam is very difficult, but defending it is even harder… Congratulations!” Mladenovic said to Gadecki and Pierce.
