Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic powered to a 6-3, 7-5 victory over second seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani on Sunday to claim the Wimbledon women's doubles title, capping a dominant fortnight for the tenth-seeded pair.
The one-hour-32-minute final on Centre Court saw Guo and Mladenovic race through the first five games before closing out the opening set, then produce a late decisive break in the second to seal their first major title as a team.
For 23-year-old Guo, competing in her first Grand Slam final, the trophy marks a career-defining breakthrough. She becomes the first Chinese player to win the Wimbledon women's doubles title. The left-hander from Tianjin had never previously advanced past the quarterfinals of a major in any discipline.
Mladenovic, a former doubles world No.1, collected her seventh women's doubles major and her tenth Grand Slam crown overall, including three mixed doubles titles. The Frenchwoman last tasted major success at Roland Garros in 2022 and returned to elite level this season after recovering from a significant injury.
"It was Hanyu who believed in me when I came back with no ranking," Mladenovic said during the trophy ceremony. "She never hesitated. I am incredibly proud to stand here with her."
The champions dropped only one set across their six matches, navigating a draw that included a straight-sets quarterfinal upset of top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend. Their only wobble came in the third round, where they lost the opener to Anastasia Detiuc and Irina Khromacheva before recovering.
The victory also represents the pair's second WTA title of 2026, adding to their triumph in Auckland in January. For Mladenovic, it is the 31st doubles title of her career.
Guo is projected to rise to a career-high world No.9 in the PIF WTA Doubles Rankings — her first Top 10 appearance — while Mladenovic is set to climb to No.13. The duo will sit fourth in the Race to Indian Wells.
For Dabrowski and Stefani, the loss ended a remarkable run that included titles in Dubai, Strasbourg and Eastbourne this season. Both will feature among the favourites at the US Open in late August, where Dabrowski is the defending champion.
Sources
- https://www.wtatennis.com/news/4534205/guo-mladenovic-capture-first-grand-slam-crown-as-partners-at-wimbledon
