Guo Hanyu (right) and Kristina Mladenovic Photo: VCG

The Chinese Tennis Association (CTA) sent a congratulatory letter via its WeChat account to Guo Hanyu on Sunday night, celebrating the Chinese player winning her first Grand Slam doubles title at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.

The 28-year-old Guo and her French partner Kristina Mladenovic overpowered Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani 6-3, 7-5 to win the doubles title in London on Sunday.

"During this year's tournament, you and your partner battled through tough opponents to reach the Grand Slam women's doubles final for the first time in your career, before ultimately lifting the trophy. Your performance embodied the spirit of Chinese tennis players - embracing challenges, working together, and never giving up," said the letter.

Despite entering the tournament as the 10th seeds and having joined forces only this season, the duo battled through a tough draw on their way to the title. After overcoming top-seeded Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend 7-6 (8), 7-5 in the quarterfinals, they defeated Chinese pair Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan in the semifinals to secure a spot in the final.

"The biggest improvement I have made throughout these matches is learning to stay calm and focus on playing each point well, regardless of the situation. I no longer dwell on the score or the final outcome. The time I spent recovering from injury helped me truly learn to keep a level head, and I'm very happy that I was able to do it," Guo said after the match.  

Their victory was a result of teamwork and adaptability, Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times. 

Mladenovic has won several major doubles titles before. She brought extensive Grand Slam experience, tactical maturity and strong net skills, while Guo provided athleticism, speed and defensive coverage. Guo's own reflection after the tournament highlighted her steady growth in mental strength, Liu noted. 

Doubles success depends heavily on communication, positioning and mutual trust, and their Wimbledon campaign showed that they were able to build those elements in a short period, Liu noted. 

"Twenty years after Zheng Jie and Yan Zi claimed China's first Wimbledon women's doubles title in 2006, you have once again brought the trophy home, securing China's third Wimbledon women's doubles title in two decades. Carrying on the legacy while opening a new chapter of glory on the grass court tournament, this achievement is the result of years of dedicated training and relentless effort. It also serves as a powerful testament to the continued rise of Chinese women's tennis. You have brought honor to China and filled fans across the country with immense pride," read the letter. 

Guo made her Grand Slam doubles debut in 2024. In January, Guo and Mladenovic reached the last 16 at the Australian Open. In May, Guo qualified for the main draw of a Grand Slam singles event for the first time in her career at the French Open. 

This victory marks the second Grand Slam women's doubles title won by a Chinese player this season, following veteran Zhang Shuai's victory alongside Belgium's Elise Mertens at the Australian Open in January.