Olivia Gadecki and John Peers battled back from a set down to defeat compatriots Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 in the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Birrell and Smith raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set on Rod Laver Arena. They eased into a 5-2 lead after being pegged back they kept their cool to win the opener in 34 minutes.
Gadecki and Peers levelled the contest in a tight second set winning a 10 point tie-breaker and become the fourth Australian duo in the Open Era to win the mixed doubles title at the tournament.
While it was Gadecki's first mixed doubles title, Peers has won his second having won the 2022 US Open in the category. He also sealed men's doubles gold at the Paris Olympics with Matthew Ebden as well as men's doubles alongside Finn Henri Kontinen. They start finals weekend with the first title of the Australian Open with two of the home hopes in the women's category.
"I would like to say fantastic job to Kim and JP for a great week, it is so nice to play in an all-Aussie final," Gadecki said in the post-match presentation. "Thanks so much for playing with me Peersy and letting me ride the wave."
But while Smith was runner-up, he received either an embarrassing or thoughtful gesture as the crowd sung him Happy Birthday. "Sorry we couldn't get it done on your birthday, but I hope that (singing) makes up for it a little bit," said Birrell, as she asked the crowd to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Smith.
It was the first all-Australian final at the tournament in the Open Era and the first since 1967. It also marks the 14th edition of the Australian Open where a home player was crowned champion in at least one category.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!mandoist12-11-2026
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- I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
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