Mladenovic, Babos talk friendship and secret to doubles success: "She's really family to me"

2020 Australian Open ladies doubles champions Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos are on an 11-match winning streak and the duo have no thoughts of slowing down.

After ending their 2019 season by defending their title at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, the pair went on to claim the Australian Open doubles title without dropping a set.

Mladenovic and Babos gave some insight into their friendship and how it helped strengthen their partnership on the court.

"I honestly think we were friends on tour and best friends on tour before." Babos said. "So it was happening on tour that we were friends, but then when we didn't see each other, it was fine. I didn't care, to be honest. See you in two months.

When we started to play together again in 2017 we started to have a different connection. And to be honest, it happened for me two years ago here at the Australian Open when we won the title together, that something started to really change there.

And then we really got emotional and we put more emotions in. It was not only like a job and work and friends on tour, but it became more than that. And ever since then, it's just rolling."

"We know everything about each other's private life." Mladenovic added. "There's no one else on the tour that knows that. But because I don't treat her as a best friend on tour, she's just my best friend in life. It makes a big difference."

Babos echoed the sentiment, claiming that Mladenovic was also one of her best friends.

"She's really family to me." Babos stated. "It's very different. It's not happening on the tour, it's really happening in life. So that's why I think it's very different. We can hang out any time. Doesn't matter."

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