Rafael Matos and Luisa Stefani, two unbeaten Brazilians, sank their teeth into the Australian Open mixed doubles trophy on Friday. With a 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza in the championship match, Matos/Stefani advanced to 7-0 as a team and won their first Grand Slam title in any discipline.
The champions started working together in 2023, winning the United Cup 2-0 before extending their unbeaten run in Melbourne. Matos became the fifth Brazilian man to capture a major championship, while Stefani is now the second Brazilian woman to win a Grand Slam. After partner Caty McNally withdrew, Stefani, who had won 18 of 20 women's doubles matches after returning from knee surgery in September, was unable to participate in the Melbourne women's doubles draw.
In their speeches after receiving their trophies, Matos and Stefani both paid tribute to Mirza, 36, who was competing in her final Grand Slam match. Three in women's doubles and three in mixed, Mirza won six major championships in her career. In February, she will compete in her last event in Dubai.