London — In a thrilling display of grit and tactical evolution on Centre Court, second seeds Jeļena Ostapenko and Marcelo Arévalo completed a brilliant turnaround to defeat Australia’s Storm Hunter and Marc Polmans 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, capturing their maiden Wimbledon mixed doubles championship.
The victory, secured in exactly one hour and 56 minutes, sealed historic career milestones for both players under the closed roof of London’s iconic tennis cathedral.
Early Pressure from the Australians
Hunter and Polmans look poised to dominate early on, establishing control from the baseline and executing precise net play. The unseeded Australian duo took the opening set 6-4 and quickly compounded the pressure by breaking early in the second to surge ahead 3-1. Facing a set and a break deficit, Ostapenko and Arévalo seemed dangerously close to a straight-sets defeat.
Match Progression Summary:
• First Set: Hunter/Polmans establish a 6-4 lead.
• Second Set: Australians break early for 3-1; Ostapenko/Arévalo respond to win 6 of the next 8 games (7-5).
• Third Set: Roof closed; Ostapenko/Arévalo dominate with breaks in the 4th and 8th games (6-2).
The Turning Point on Centre Court
The momentum shifted dramatically mid-way through the second set. Spurred on by Arévalo’s steady court presence, Ostapenko began finding her rhythm, dialing in a barrage of powerful, flat returns that left the Australians scrambling. The Latvian-Salvadoran tandem won six of the following eight games, breaking serve twice to snatch the second set 7-5 and force a deciding third frame.
Before the start of the final set, tournament officials made the decision to close the Centre Court roof. Under the indoor lights, Ostapenko and Arévalo completely dictated the tempo. They maintained a flawless service rhythm, applying relentless pressure on return to break the Australians in the fourth and eighth games, ultimately closing out the match on their first match point.
Ostapenko Completes the Grand Slam Set
For the 28-year-old Ostapenko, the victory brought immense personal satisfaction, successfully erasing the heartbreak of finishing as the Wimbledon mixed doubles runner-up in 2019 and the women’s doubles runner-up last summer.
With this title, the Latvian star enters an elite tier of tennis history, completing a rare trifecta of Grand Slam titles across all three major disciplines:
- Singles: 2017 French Open
- Women’s Doubles: 2024 US Open
- Mixed Doubles: 2026 Wimbledon
“It’s been a great week,” Ostapenko said in her post-match press conference. “Now I am a Grand Slam champion in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. It’s great to win all the categories. Marcelo and I played really well together and had a lot of fun on court. Winning Wimbledon is always special.”
A Historic Milestone for El Salvador
For the 35-year-old Arévalo, the triumph carved his name into Central American sporting folklore as he became the first player from El Salvador ever to win a Wimbledon title. Adding to his two Roland Garros men’s doubles titles (2022, 2024), this marks his third career Grand Slam crown.
Arévalo’s magical week in London may not be over yet, as he is scheduled to compete in the men’s doubles final alongside partner Mate Pavić on Saturday.
Reflecting on what the moment means for his home nation, Arévalo shared a deeply personal anecdote about his respect for Centre Court’s legacy:
“It means a lot, coming from El Salvador, a country that is not known for tennis,” Arévalo remarked. “Playing on Centre Court is a dream. I remember at the beginning of the week, my team had a little tour around Centre Court and I chose not to go in. I told them I wanted to earn the right to step out there. Today, I did. I just want to keep inspiring the kids from my country—to make them realize that when you put in a lot of effort and you believe in your dreams, you can achieve big things in life.”
