Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens gave a rousing performance on Centre Court to win the 2025 Wimbledon ladies' doubles crown, coming back from a set down to defeat fourth seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, in a nail-biting two-hour and 23-minute final.
Seeded eighth, the pair rebounded from a slow beginning to catch up, employing clever net play and baseline accuracy to reclaim momentum in the second set. After losing the opener, Kudermetova and Mertens broke Hsieh twice to control the second and level the match.
Their comeback prepared the ground for a thrilling decider, in which Hsieh and Ostapenko stormed 4-2 ahead and seemed set to take the reins back. But Kudermetova and Mertens rallied, coming back to take the last four games in succession. The encounter came to a close with Kudermetova delivering a smash volley winner on championship point to secure her much-delayed first Grand Slam doubles crown, reports the WTA.
The victory was especially sweet for Kudermetova, who had agonizingly nearly won Wimbledon in 2021, losing in the final alongside then-partner Elena Vesnina. Today, she triumphed alongside Mertens, who claimed a fifth Grand Slam doubles title to her tally — and a second at the All England Club.
In a turn of events, Mertens' prior Wimbledon championship was in 2021 with Hsieh, when the two foiled Kudermetova's trophy in yet another cliffhanger final. Four years on, the positions were now reversed.
Kudermetova and Mertens had already proved a strong partnership in 2022, taking that year's WTA Finals among other notable victories. Although they split up for two seasons, their resumption of the partnership this spring rekindled their winning dynamic, and their solid Madrid and Rome results built to their Wimbledon breakthrough.
For Ostapenko, the loss was doubly frustrating — victory would have propelled her to No. 1 on the WTA doubles rankings. She and Hsieh had begun the match in fine form, converting a 1-4 deficit into a five-game run to take the first set. However, as pressure began to build, Kudermetova and Mertens upped their game, displaying their poise and coordination when it was needed most.
Their success not only represents an individual achievement for the two players but also returns them to their place among the best doubles teams in the women's game.
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