LONDON — Veronika Kudermetova celebrated her inaugural Grand Slam victory by joining forces with Elise Mertens to clinch the women’s doubles championship at Wimbledon on Sunday. The duo made a thrilling comeback, overcoming Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 on iconic Centre Court.
This marked the first time Kudermetova and Mertens partnered at Wimbledon, despite facing each other in the 2021 final. Trailing 4-2 in the decisive third set, they mounted a spectacular comeback, winning the final four games to secure their hard-fought victory.
For Mertens, this victory signifies her fifth Grand Slam doubles title and her second triumph at Wimbledon. In 2021, she paired with Hsieh, emerging victorious in a marathon duel that required saving two match points against Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina.
“Losing that final was incredibly painful,” reflected Kudermetova. “Today, I told myself that I truly wanted this, and now it’s finally mine.”
Hsieh has impressively clinched the Wimbledon doubles title four times with three different partners.
Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open singles champion, was gunning for her second major doubles title after her U.S. Open win last year alongside Lyudmyla Kichenok.
