Chinese tennis player wins the Australian Open 2026 title

This marks the third time the tennis star from the "Land of a Billion People" has claimed a Grand Slam championship.

The veteran Chinese tennis player - Zhang Shuai alongside her partner Elise Mertens secured the women's doubles title at the 2026 Australian Open after a 2-0 victory (7-6; 6-4) over Anna Danilina/Aleksandra Krunic on the morning of January 31, Vietnam time.

Favored before the final, Zhang Shuai and Elise Mertens faced considerable challenges, especially in the early stages. The China-Belgium duo trailed 3-0 then 4-1 against their Kazakhstan-Serbia opponents before rallying strongly to tie 4-4, ultimately deciding the set in a tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, Zhang and Mertens dominated, winning 7-4 to take the lead 1-0.

Things became smoother for Zhang Shuai and her partner as they repeatedly broke Danilina/Krunic's serve, pulling ahead 5-0. Although their opponents fought back to narrow the gap to 4-5, the fourth-seeded pair regained composure and secured the final service game to clinch their first Grand Slam title of the year.

This is Zhang Shuai's third Major title, all in women's doubles: the 2019 Australian Open, 2021 US Open with Samantha Stosur, and this year's Australian Open with Elise Mertens. For the Belgian player, this is her sixth Grand Slam doubles championship.

Born in 1989, Zhang Shuai is one of China's top tennis players over the years. Her diligence, dedication, and friendly personality have earned her admiration and respect from fellow players on the Tour.

In doubles, Zhang has won 16 titles, including 3 Grand Slams, and reached world No. 2 in 2022. The 36-year-old has also had a strong singles career: nearing the top 20, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and winning 3 WTA Tour titles in Guangzhou 2013, 2017, and Lyon 2022.