AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 30, 2026

Olivia Gadecki

John Peers

Press Conference

GADECKI-PEERS/Mladenovic-Guinard

4-6, 6-3, 10-8

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of the Australian Open 2026 mixed doubles champions, Olivia Gadecki and John Peers. Guys, congratulations on winning the title. Talk us through how you're feeling coming off the court.

JOHN PEERS: Firstly, thank you. Yeah, sort of a bit shocked, though. That could have gone either way. To be honest with you, just sort of happy that we kept sticking with it. That was one of those matches that could have gone either way, and it was on a knife's edge.

So for us to stick with it and keep giving us opportunities and hanging around there, hanging around there to be able to take our chance right at the end is something, now starting to look back on, I probably want to watch that super-tiebreak again.

We just did a great job to stick with what we were doing so well all tournament. I think it came through right at the end for us when we really needed it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congratulations. How does this one feel compared to last year's win?

OLIVIA GADECKI: Thank you. How does it feel? Just as good as last year, if not better, I would say.

Yeah, it's pretty incredible to be back-to-back Grand Slam winners. Even saying that out loud is crazy, and I'm still trying to kind of comprehend it, but it's so nice to get it at home in front of friends and family.

To share this moment with Peersy is pretty incredible. Yeah, just soaking it all up.

Q. Looking back at the match, the first set was probably an unusual one with so many service breaks. Did that sort of give you belief, about how close it was, that you were going to be able to come back in the second set?

JOHN PEERS: Definitely. I think if you look back on it, it was a lot of ebbs and flows throughout that probably whole match, especially the first set.

But I kept sort of just thinking in back of my mind, just try and find a way to problem-solve where it didn't quite go our way first set, and then just keep sticking with what we were doing well. Because we were doing a lot of good things really well in that first set. We just needed to do it a few more times probably on serve to make it a little bit cleaner for us to take advantage of how well we were returning overall.

So, yeah, we just kept sticking with what we were doing well, change up a couple of things on serve, and execute a couple more times. It turned around nicely for us.

Q. John, your friend Bill Gates was here last night for the women's semi. Have you spoken to him today? Do you know if he was watching your match today?

JOHN PEERS: Yeah, he was out there today. I haven't seen him today. No, we saw him literally just before we walked on court.

Yeah, no, they were in the crowd there, and they've always been great supporters, so it was good to see him again, and I'll catch up with him later.

Q. Did you hear him cheering at all like he was in the Olympics?

JOHN PEERS: Yeah, no, it was nice. He didn't feel as awkward this time because it wasn't against Americans. It was good.

Q. Was it a bit unnerving to drop your serve a couple of times in the first set? Was that hard to come back from?

JOHN PEERS: Not really. I mean, that's not something I'm sort of used to.

At the end of the day, it's a tennis match. It's about trying to problem-solve and figure out ways if things don't go to plan, how do you get around it and find a solution in that short space of time.

At the end of the day, if we didn't find the solution, we probably wouldn't be sitting here holding the trophy. I knew if we stuck around long enough, the scoring format is literally a set and a tiebreak, and that's what you've got to win.

I knew if we just hung around and kept doing what we did well and change a couple things up, we were going to give ourselves a chance. We did, and then we took it when we had it.

Q. John, you mentioned on court in the presentation that you hope you two can sort of stay together. Are you planning to be back next year to target a three-peat?

JOHN PEERS: I'd love to say yes now. So hopefully we don't need a wild card, but if we do, TA can give us another wild card.

OLIVIA GADECKI: Thank you in advance.

Q. Tell us about your singles ambitions and aspirations. You didn't make the main draw this year, but that's still obviously something you want to pursue?

OLIVIA GADECKI: Yeah, for sure. I am very much into my singles, and I have had a great start to the year. I'm hoping this gives me a bit of a boost for 2026.

But yeah, I'm just enjoying being out there, you know, being on court, being healthy, happy. Yeah, there's not much to be sort of unhappy about (smiling).

Q. One of your French opponents might have suggested it was Craig Tiley's last tournament here at the Australian Open. Is there any truth to that rumor?

JOHN PEERS: You'd have to ask him. I haven't spoken to him about it. See what unfolds, I guess.

Q. How are you both planning to celebrate? Are you going to go out and get yourself anything nice with your winnings?

JOHN PEERS: It's actually going to be nice to enjoy one, to be fair. Last year I was a bit under the weather in the final, so to be able to actually enjoy it is going to be nice. To be able to have friends and families and celebrate together is going to be great.

OLIVIA GADECKI: Yeah, just with friends and family and actually be able to enjoy it, because last year I was off to Singapore literally the next day and didn't see my family for 10 months.

Yeah, it's going to be really nice to just have a couple of days to, yeah, enjoy the moment (smiling).

Q. John, is this your family? Must be special having them here to watch you win another Grand Slam.

JOHN PEERS: Yeah, my wife and girls up there. Any chance I get to play in front of them now is really special. Hopefully they can enjoy it, as well.

To be able to have them up in the crowd is fantastic. Just gives me that little bit extra drive to be able to have friends and family and have them so close as often as I can, because unfortunately we don't get to have them every week on the road.

To be able to do this at home in from of them and share it with them, doesn't get any better.