Elise Mertens reaches Australian Open doubles semi-finals

28 January 2026

Belgium’s Elise Mertens reached the doubles semi-finals at the Australian Open on Wednesday, the first Grand Slam of the season in Melbourne.

Playing alongside China’s Shuai Zhang, the fourth-strongest doubles team came through a tough quarter-final to defeat Japan’s Eri Hozumi and Taiwan’s Fang-Hsien Wu 4–6, 6–4, 6–3.

A place in the final will be decided between either Japan’s Ena Shibahara and Russia’s Vera Zvonareva, or Australian wildcard pairing Kimberly Birrell and Talia Gibson.

Belgium's Elise Mertens and Chinese Shuai Zhang pictured during a tennis match against US pair Baptiste/Stearns in Melbourne Park, Melbourne on Tuesday 27 January 2026.
©BELGA PHOTO PATRICK HAMILTON

The 30-year-old Mertens, currently ranked sixth in the world in doubles, is no stranger to success in Melbourne. She has already won the Australian Open doubles trophy twice: in 2021 with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and again in 2024 with Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei. Her Grand Slam record also includes two Wimbledon titles from 2021 with Hsieh and in 2025 with Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova. Additionally, she won the 2019 US Open doubles crown with Sabalenka.

Elise Mertens wins second Wimbledon doubles title

Belgium’s Elise Mertens has won the women’s doubles at Wimbledon for the second time. Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova defeated Hsieh Su-wei and...

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Mertens’ singles campaign ended earlier this week, after she was beaten in the fourth round by Kazakhstan’s fifth seed Elena Rybakina.

_{#FlandersNewsService | Belgium's Elise Mertens pictured during a tennis match against US pair Baptiste/Stearns in the 1/8 final of the women doubles at the Australian Open, in Melbourne Park, Melbourne on Tuesday 27 January 2026.
©BELGA PHOTO PATRICK HAMILTON}

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