John Peers and Olivia Gadecki plan to target a three-peat after becoming the first pairing to win back-to-back Australian Open mixed doubles titles in 37 years.
The local wildcards won a thriller in Friday's final against Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard, who were bidding to become the first French duo to win the mixed crown at Melbourne Park.
After splitting the first two sets the Australians triumphed in a 10-point tiebreak decider, running out 4-6 6-4 10-8 winners in 93 minutes.
"That could have gone either way and I'm just sort of happy that we kept sticking with it," said Melbourne product Peers.
"It was on a knife's edge.
"We just did a great job to stick with what we we were doing so well all tournament, and I think it came through right at the end for us when we really needed it."
The duo became champions last year with a win over compatriots Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith in the first all-Australian decider in 58 years.
This win made them the first pairing to successfully defend the title at Melbourne Park since Czech great Jana Novotna and American Jim Pugh in 1988-89.
And they became the first Australian doubles act to retain the title since Margaret Court and Ken Fletcher who won three in a row between 1963 and 1965.
Peers, who also won the US Open mixed title in 2022 and the AO men's doubles trophy in 2017, said he hoped he could again partner up with Queenslander Gadecki for a three-peat attempt.
"I'd love to say yes," the 37-year-old said.
"Hopefully we don't need a wildcard but if we do hopefully TA (Tennis Australia) can give us another one."
Peers made a series of uncharacteristic errors in the first set but he wasn't alone with five breaks of serve in the set, with the French winning the key points to surge ahead 5-2 before sealing it 6-4.
Momentum then shifted the home team's way with Peers finding his range and delivering some big serves when it counted to level at one set a piece.
With pressure showing on both pairings, the French edged ahead in the tiebreak 7-5.
But hard-hitting Gadecki held her nerve and then Peers fired a winner to set up two championship points, securing the trophy with the second on a Guinard error.
"It's just as good as last year, if not better. I would say it's pretty incredible to be back to back grand slam winners," said 23-year-old Gadecki, a former top-ranked junior.
"Even just saying it 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."
With his two young daughters and wife Danielle watching from the stands, Peers echoed those thoughts.
"Any chance I have to play in front of them is really special," he said.
"To be able to have them up in the crowd's fantastic, and, just gives me that little bit extra drive ... unfortunately we don't get to have them every week on the road so to be able to do this at home in front of them and share it with them, it doesn't get any better."
Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans will look to follow their lead, through to the men's doubles final where the Australians will take on sixth seeds Neal Skupski of Great Britain and American Christian Harrison for the trophy.
