Rod Laver Arena witnessed high drama as Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski defeated local heroes Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans to lift the Australian Open 2026 men’s doubles trophy. The match, lasting nearly two hours, ended 7-6(4), 6-4 in favor of the American-British sixth seeds, capping a remarkable tournament run.
Kubler and Polmans, entering on a wild card, refused to go down without a fight. Trailing 2-5 in the first set, they mounted a stunning comeback to push it to a tiebreak, delighting the partisan crowd. But Harrison and Skupski’s composure shone through, as they won four consecutive points to pocket the set. The second set saw them break early and hold firm, with Harrison’s clutch ace clinching the second match point.
This victory follows their semifinal masterclass against two-time 2025 major winners Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, triumphed 6-3, 7-6(7). Kubler was chasing a second Aussie Open doubles crown after his 2023 wild card success with Rinky Hijikata, backed by a 14-3 record at Melbourne Park. For Polmans, reaching the final topped his previous best, a 2017 semifinal.
Women’s doubles went to Elise Mertens and Shuai Zhang, who defeated Anna Danilina and Alexandra Krunic 7-6(4), 6-4—their ninth Slam title as a duo from only seven joint events since reuniting post their 2022 Wimbledon. Friday’s mixed doubles saw Gabusewicz and Peers defend their crown, a feat unmatched in 37 years.
