Anna Danilina '18 Falls in Australian Open Doubles Finals
Saturday, January 31, 2026 | Women's Tennis
MELBOURNE, Australia — Florida Women's Tennis alumna Anna Danilina and her doubles partner, Aleksandra Krunic, squared off against Elise Mertens and Shuai Zhang in the Finals of the 2026 Australian Open Friday. A win would have given Danilina her second Grand Slam Championship, but Mertens and Zhang emerged with the 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 victory.
Danilina and Krunic jumped out to an early lead in set number one, breaking both Mertens and Zhang's serves to go up 3-0 early. They still led 4-1, but Mertens and Zhang rattled off four straight games to gain the advantage. In the tiebreaker, Danilina and Krunic dropped the first six points, but three unforced errors and a service winner brought them to within two, 6-4. An unforced error of their own on the subsequent point, however, concluded the set.
In set number two, Mertens and Zhang won the first five games, and appeared ready to close out the match with Mertens serving. Danilina and Krunic fought back, though, winning four straight games. Mertens rallied on her next service game, though, winning all four points to give them the title.
This was the second appearance in the Australian Open Finals for the 2017 NCAA Champion. In 2022, Danilina teamed with Beatriz Haddad Maia against Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, but dropped a tight three-set decision 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-4.
Danilina also appeared in the 2026 French Open Doubles Finals alongside Krunic, but they fell in three sets to the number two seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini. Danilina picked up her first career Grand Slam championship when she won the 2023 US Open Mixed Doubles title alongside Harri Heliovaara.
Danilina and Krunic jumped out to an early lead in set number one, breaking both Mertens and Zhang's serves to go up 3-0 early. They still led 4-1, but Mertens and Zhang rattled off four straight games to gain the advantage. In the tiebreaker, Danilina and Krunic dropped the first six points, but three unforced errors and a service winner brought them to within two, 6-4. An unforced error of their own on the subsequent point, however, concluded the set.
In set number two, Mertens and Zhang won the first five games, and appeared ready to close out the match with Mertens serving. Danilina and Krunic fought back, though, winning four straight games. Mertens rallied on her next service game, though, winning all four points to give them the title.
This was the second appearance in the Australian Open Finals for the 2017 NCAA Champion. In 2022, Danilina teamed with Beatriz Haddad Maia against Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, but dropped a tight three-set decision 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-4.
Danilina also appeared in the 2026 French Open Doubles Finals alongside Krunic, but they fell in three sets to the number two seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini. Danilina picked up her first career Grand Slam championship when she won the 2023 US Open Mixed Doubles title alongside Harri Heliovaara.
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