At the Wimbledon women’s doubles final, Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic made history by defeating Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani before the men’s singles final. The victory marked the pair’s second title together after their winning debut in Auckland this year. And for Mladenovic, the triumph turned emotional at the end as she tearfully thanked her coach and brother, Luka Mladenovic, for restoring her belief after a devastating injury.

“Honestly, it wouldn’t be possible without my team,” Mladenovic shared at the post-match trophy ceremony. “Luka, my coach that is also my brother, that is sometimes gives me a hard time, but I know it’s for my best, and we worked really hard for this moment, and I was asking him last year if he thought I would be able to come back at this level,” she added. 

“Thank you so much to him and my parents, my family, for their support. Without them, I wouldn’t be here, and I would like to thank all of the rest of the team,” the 33-year-old explained.

The French WTA star’s emotional words reflected everything she had gone through over the past year.

In early 2025, the former doubles No. 1 was forced to stop playing due to a complex chronic foot injury. The injury was so severe that she was no longer sure if she would ever return to professional tennis.  Mladenovic spent months away from the court, with her last match coming in February last year at the Dubai Masters event. Her long absence also meant she missed the French Open for the first time since 2008.

She remained sidelined for seven months, and during that stretch, her singles ranking dropped to World No. 863 in mid-2026, while her WTA doubles ranking slipped to around No. 63. This aligns with her injury history, as Mladenovic has endured prominent knee and back ailments in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The back injury, in fact, forced a mid-match retirement and withdrawals from subsequent events. However, another narrative is her capacity to make a great comeback, thanks to steadfast anchors in her life.

While recovering from her foot injury during those difficult months, the Frenchwoman’s family never stopped believing in her. Luka Mladenovic, a former soccer player, also remained by her side throughout the journey. Along with longtime coach and mother Dzenita, Luka played an important role in helping her believe she could return.

Now, after completing the comeback she had dreamed of, Mladenovic has reached the top once again. And her latest triumph showed that all the pain, doubt, and hard work were finally worth it.

Kristina Mladenovic thanked Guo Hanyu for choosing her as a doubles partner

Facing the No. 2 seeds at SW19, Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic rose to the occasion and defeated their opponents 6-3, 7-5 in 1 hour and 32 minutes. The victory was especially memorable for the Chinese as well. Playing in her first Grand Slam final, the 28-year-old captured her maiden major trophy.

For the French international, it was another remarkable milestone. Mladenovic has now secured her seventh Grand Slam women’s doubles title and her 10th major overall.

It also marked the 33-year-old’s first Grand Slam title since winning Roland Garros in 2022. And during the trophy ceremony, Mladenovic made sure to thank her doubles partner for believing in her from the very beginning.

“Hanyu said that she’s lucky that I picked her, but I would like to thank her for believing in me and wanting to play with me because I was the one who asked her to play with me at the beginning of the season,” Mladenovic said.

“When I was coming back, I had no ranking. I had a tough injury last year, and she didn’t hesitate at all. And I’m very proud to be standing here with her,” the French WTA star later explained.

The SW19 victory is also set to bring major rewards in the rankings. Mladenovic is projected to climb to World No. 13 in the WTA Doubles rankings by Monday. Meanwhile, Guo is expected to reach a new career-high ranking of World No. 9, which will also mark her first appearance inside the WTA doubles Top 10.

With another major title now in their hands, the French-Chinese duo head into the rest of the season full of confidence. Their attention now shifts toward the WTA Finals, where the race for more silverware continues.