A cold call, a Wimbledon title and a spot in the desert: How Mladenovic and Guo built an elite team
Entering 2026, Kristina Mladenovic and Guo Hanyu did not know each other well.
The one thing Mladenovic did know was that she wanted to play doubles with Guo after noticing Guo was performing at a high level last season. So, Mladenovic, who was coming back off injury and therefore a lower ranking, made the request to Guo ahead of the season, and the partnership has flourished since.
Ten months later, Mladenovic and Guo will be one of the eight doubles tandems set to compete at the WTA Finals at Indian Wells. Spearheaded by titles in Auckland, their first tournament as a pair, and Wimbledon, the duo solidified themselves as one the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz elite teams in 2026.
The victory at the All England Club was both players' first title in London, and Guo's first Grand Slam overall.
"I said to my coach, 'I want to play with this girl.' I was lucky she accepted," Mladenovic said in their Wimbledon champions press conference. "From that moment, it was just super nice to get to know each other, because we didn't know each other from before.
"Of course, our games and level, they're really matching. I think we have same vision of how we want to play."
Mladenovic is not a stranger to competing at the WTA Tour's biggest stage as she'll play in her fifth WTA Finals, while Guo will compete at the year-end event for the first time.
After clinching their spot at Indian Wells, wtatennis.com sat down with Mladenovic and Guo in Wuhan. From their on-court performance to their strong bond and competing with the season's best, here's what the duo had to say:
It's hard to predict the future, but ahead of your first tournament together this year, did you feel that you were going to have the success that you have achieved?
Mladenovic: I believed in Hanyu from the beginning. She is an amazing player and even though I we didn't know each other personally before, I was really happy about this partnership at the very beginning of the season, and we had clear goals and a calendar we agreed on.
The first week, it's an amazing feeling to start with a title. It puts in a positive dynamic, but overall, the most important for me was my feeling with Hanyu on the court and also off the court. To have great results, you need to get along well with the person and feel it genuinely.
I'm really happy that tennis made me meet her, the person she is, and then from there we're just matching and we try to improve together as a team. This is how, step-by-step, we improved. It helped us build more and more confidence. Wimbledon was the reward for our work.
Guo: Everything for me is new, and I still remember the first conversation when we were in Auckland. She could really understand that I wanted to put more time on singles, but for our doubles, she has a lot of confidence that we can win big tournaments and reach the goal at the end of the year.
That really gives me a different feeling because I don't know what [WTA Finals] is like. She gave me the feeling that she could lead me, and then she did it.
Mladenovic: We did it together.
On that note, you both mentioned you didn't know each other that well coming into 2026. How have you effectively developed the partnership away from the court?
Mladenovic: It comes comes genuinely or it doesn't. I've had partnerships in the past where I would be very close with my partner. Some it was just professional and you just spent for the time on court and outside, there's no chemistry.
With Hanyu, it was very natural. Our personalities made us close, and I like to spend time with her and her team. She feels the same way about me and my team so it's small details about our daily life, but it makes a huge difference -- a coffee, a walk, a restaurant together, doing activities together. It was really genuine. I wanted to share those moments because I just cared about her as a person.
Guo: I feel the same way because I know that Kiki is always trying to help and trying to get me more confident. Also, if I have some problem, I know Kiki will be there all the time. This week when I played singles, she's always there in support (Guo reached the third round at Wuhan).
That's the thing that I really want to cherish that I know not everyone can do it like Kiki did, so I'm really appreciative about this.
You'll be returning to Indian Wells, but the atmosphere will be centric to the top players of the 2026 season. What are your initial thoughts on returning to Indian Wells?
Mladenovic: I've played a couple of WTA Finals before, and it's never been a place where there's a WTA event. Now it's going to be interesting to go back to a place that we know. We both like that place. I remember in March, we loved the scenery, the view and we loved playing there. We really loved playing in the desert.
Guo: Well, I haven't thought [too much] about this yet, but I'm excited for everything that is coming.
Kristina, this will be your fifth finals, but the first in seven years. What is it like being back at the highest stage with this current group of top doubles teams?
Mladenovic: It's very emotional for me as last time was 2019. After all these years, the pandemic, my injuries -- the biggest one was last year, I almost didn't play a whole year. To be back at this stage and just to see how the season went and the results we had together, being at the WTA Finals is a gift.
It's a reward for our results, our work. It is really particularly a big reward for me and my team to the fact that I gave myself a chance to be again on the court at this level, and to experience these amazing moments and emotions and to share it with Hanyu is even more special.
When I was in a bad situation last year with injury, if someone would have told me, 'Don't worry, next year, you're gonna win Wimbledon with Hanyu and you will play the finals.' I would be 'No, it's impossible.' It's amazing. I've achieved a lot of dreams before, and I've worked hard to again have this opportunity. It was worth going through the hard times. It's a beautiful thing about sport.
