Feature: At 37, Zhang claims third Grand Slam doubles title

by sportswriters Xu Haijing and Yue Chenxing

MELBOURNE, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Clad in tennis-ball yellow, Zhang Shuai offered another reminder of her love for the sport.

Zhang returned to Rod Laver Arena on Saturday for the women's doubles final at the 2026 Australian Open and left an hour and 48 minutes later with another Grand Slam title. Teamed with Belgium's Elise Mertens, Zhang defeated Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (4), 6-4.

The victory was Zhang's third women's doubles Grand Slam title, following triumphs at the 2019 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open, both alongside Australia's Sam Stosur, who presented Zhang and Mertens with their trophy after Saturday's triumph.

Zhang, who turned 37 earlier this month, and Mertens, 30, formed a last-minute partnership before the tournament. Despite losing the 2022 Wimbledon final to Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, the pair arrived in Melbourne confident in their chemistry.

"We adapt well to each other in a sense that we communicate well. And we are both fighters on court. We don't want to give any presents to the opponent," Mertens said at the after-match press conference.

"We are fighters with brains," Zhang added, "Everyone who makes it to the Grand Slam is a fighter, but we play with wit and grit."

Their resilience showed in the second round, when they saved three match points against American Iva Jovic and Canada's Victoria Mboko. That escape, Mertens said, lifted them "to the next level."

"We won't collapse no matter what," Zhang said. "We always focus on the current point, almost forgetting what happened beforehand."

For Zhang, the title capped a revival after an 18-month drought in singles victories from January 2023 to mid-2024. She steadied her form with a strong run at the 2024 China Open, beating American McCartney Kessler in straight sets.

She has rebounded before. On the brink of retirement ahead of the 2016 Australian Open after 14 straight first-round Grand Slam losses, Zhang stunned then-world No. 2 Simona Halep in the opening round and rode the momentum to the quarterfinals.

Zhang said she agreed with Novak Djokovic that belief is crucial to sustaining elite performance later in a career. Djokovic, also in his late 30s, reached the men's final after a four-hour, nine-minute semifinal victory over world No. 2 Jannik Sinner.

Although more familiar with Djokovic's era, Zhang said the new generation, including Sinner, "always brings something new" to the sport.

Despite the title, Zhang said she has no immediate plans to extend the partnership with Mertens.

"We still have dreams," Zhang said. "But I'm not the kind of person who will broadcast to the world what my goals are."

"I'd rather bring the trophy and tell you, 'Look, this is my dream,'" she added, gesturing toward the Daphne Akhurst Cup, which will bear her name again.  ■