Marcelo Arévalo gave El Salvador a historic moment at Wimbledon, teaming with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko to win the mixed doubles title Thursday on Centre Court.
The second-seeded pair defeated Australians Storm Hunter and Marc Polmans 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, coming back from a set and a break down to claim the championship. It was the first Wimbledon title for both Arévalo and Ostapenko, and the first Grand Slam mixed doubles crown for either player.
For Arévalo, the win carried special weight. The 35-year-old became the first player from El Salvador to win a Wimbledon title, adding another milestone to a career that has already made him the most successful tennis player in his country’s history. The victory also gave Arévalo his third Grand Slam title. He previously won the men’s doubles title at Roland Garros in 2022 and 2024, but Thursday’s win marked his first major trophy at the All England Club.
Hunter and Polmans started stronger, taking the opening set 6-4 and then breaking early in the second to move ahead 3-1. Arévalo and Ostapenko did not let the match get away. They fought back late in the second set, shifted the pressure, and forced a deciding set.
Once the Centre Court roof was closed before the third set, the momentum stayed with Arévalo and Ostapenko. They broke in the fourth and eighth games of the final set and finished the match with a sharper, cleaner stretch than the one that had put them in trouble earlier. Arévalo said the title meant more because of where he comes from, describing El Salvador as a country not widely known for tennis. He said he hopes the win can inspire children back home to believe major achievements are possible with work and belief.
Ostapenko also added a rare piece to her résumé. The Latvian is now a Grand Slam champion in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. She won the 2017 French Open singles title and the 2024 U.S. Open women’s doubles title before adding Wimbledon mixed doubles to that list.
Arévalo may not be finished at Wimbledon. He is also set to play the men’s doubles final alongside Croatia’s Mate Pavić, giving him a chance to leave London with two titles from the same tournament. Whatever happens next, the mixed doubles victory already secured a first for El Salvador at the All England Club and placed Arévalo’s name on one of tennis’s most traditional trophies.
