2024 Australian Open: Krawczyk denied career mixed doubles Grand Slam

Desirae Krawczyk was on the brink of completing a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles, but the American and British partner Neal Skupski missed out on a match point and had to settle for a runner-up finish at the 2024 Australian Open.

The second seeds were edged, 6-7(5), 6-4, 11-9, by Hsieh Su-Wei and Jan Zielinski on Friday in the Melbourne final, as Krawczyk was denied a fifth major mixed doubles crown. She and Skupski led by a set and a break at 4-2 in the second, but were narrowly beaten after a late surge by their opponents.

"Thank you to the fans," Krawczyk said after acknowledging her team during the trophy ceremony. "This has been so nice to have everyone out here watching and supporting all of us. It's been amazing. It's been great, and we can't wait to come back next year."

Krawczyk is a four-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, including three titles in 2021 (Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open) and another in 2022 (Wimbledon). Both of those Wimbledon crowns came with Skupski, while the other two trophies were won with another British partner in Joe Salisbury.

At No. 16 in the WTA doubles rankings, Krawczyk also reached the third round in the AO women's doubles event with Japan's Ena Shibahara. The sixth seeds were beaten by ninth seeds Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani in a third-set tiebreak.

The 30-year-old Krawczyk's best major finish in women's doubles is a 2020 final run with American-born Chilean Alexa Guarachi at Roland Garros. She has been to two additional semifinals, at the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Aussie Open, the latter of which helped her to a career-high ranking of No. 8 last season.

At this year's Australian Open, Krawczyk was one of three American women to reach the third round. Emma Navarro (with fellow former college star Diana Shnaider) and Taylor Townsend (with Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia) also notched two wins to reach the last 16.