MELBOURNE, Australia — Olivia Gadecki and John Pierce defeated the French pair of Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 on Friday to become the first team to win back-to-back Australian Open mixed doubles titles since 1989.

The Australians trailed 7-5 in the final set tie-break, but came back to take a 9-7 lead. On match point, during Pierce’s serve, Guinard smashed a backhand into the net, giving the home player the victory at Rod Laver Arena.

Gadecki and Peers, who entered as wild cards, became the first reigning Australian Open mixed doubles champions to return to the finals the following year since Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor in 2015. Gadecki, 23, was born 13 years after Jim Pugh and Jana Novotna fought back-to-back in 1988 and 1989.

“It was a bit of a shock,” Pierce said. “It could have gone either way. We were happy in a way that we stuck with it…it was on a knife’s edge.”

Three games after Mladenovic double-faulted on set point and the Australian team broke to hold the set, the French team took the lead in the first set when Peers hit a shot wide on the second set point.

In the second set, Gadecki and Peers broke serve to take a 3-1 lead, then held to take a 4-1 lead, winning 13 of the 15 points to take control of the set and tie the match.

Mladenovic was aiming for her fourth Grand Slam mixed doubles title. She won Wimbledon in 2013, the Australian Open in 2014 with Nestor, and the 2022 Australian Open mixed doubles with Ivan Dodig. She also won six Grand Slam women’s doubles titles.

“It’s very difficult to win a Grand Slam once, but even harder to defend it… Congratulations!” Mladenovic said to Gadecki and Piers.