Aussies Ebden and Peers Edge USA To Win Olympic Doubles Gold

Down a set and a break, neighbors Matthew Ebden and John Peers pulled off a golden comeback.

By Richard Paglaro | @TennisNow | Saturday, August 3, 2024
Photo credit: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty

Perth neighbors Matthew Ebden and John Peers rode a red-clay comeback route to strike gold for Australia.

Down a set and a 2-4, Aussie pair Ebden and Peers staged a fierce rally fending off Team USA’s Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 10-8 to win the Paris Olympic doubles gold medal in a dramatic duel at Roland Garros.

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The Americans saved three gold-medal points rallying from 5-9 down to 8-9 in the decisive 10-point match tiebreaker.

Then Peers delivered instant redemption.

Peers, who missed an easy point-blank volley on the third match point, came right back with a tremendous deep volley that caught the baseline before he smashed away the final shot delivering Australia’s first mens’ doubles gold medal in 28 years.

The long-time friends and neighbors are the first Aussies to win the doubles gold medals since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

When it was over, the Aussie pair embraced then celebrated with a family group hug hoisting their kids in the air.

“It’s amazing to have the family and friends in the crowd. Matt’s son is here as well,” Peers told NBC’s Britney Eurtock afterward. “We got to share it with our families. Matt and I were just saying: We can’t believe it. It’s what we hoped for a few months ago, but now it’s a reality. We’re actually gold medalists.”

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It’s a gut-wrenching loss for Krajicek and Ram, who built a one-set, 4-2 lead and were two holds from gold.

“You play your heart out for your country in these moments,” Ram said. “We were so close but we couldn’t quite get it. It’s wonderful to win the silver because I feel we genuinely won the silver, but it’s tough.”

Krajicek and Ram, who knocked off 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and four-time major title holder Carlos Alcaraz, en route to the gold-medal match fell behind 2-6 in the super tiebreaker and could not quite close the gap.

“It’s incredible and like Raj said this one hurts a lot: there are no words to describe it,” Krajicek told Britney Eurtock. “We left it all out there. We gave ourselves a chance at the end, but that’s tennis.

“It’s a wicked sport and tough way to make a living, but it’s still an honor to be out there and win the silver.”

Good for Ram and Krajicek and Fritz and Paul, silver and bronze medalists in the men’s doubles at #Paris2024

But still a disappointing #Olympics in #tennis for Team USA overall with no women’s medals and no singles medals. I am surprised#getty pic.twitter.com/ZKhJ7MQ3CS

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) August 3, 2024

The fourth-seeded Americans drew first-break blood for 4-2, but Aussies Ebden and Peers broke right back in the seventh game and leveled after eight games.

In the first-set tiebreaker, Team USA earned a pair of set points at 6-4. The Australian side saved both. On their third set point, Krajicek and Ram closed a one-set lead.

Serving up a set and a break at 4-3, the United States was two holds from gold. Ram was missing his first serve—he missed five first serves—and Ebden made him pay. The Aussies attacked down the middle breaking Ram to level 4-all.

In one of the best net exchanges of the match, the green-and-gold pushed a volley past Krajicek to hold for 5-4.

Ebden came through a tense deuce hold, punching a volley down the middle to put Australia ahead 6-5. Ram stamped a love hold to force the second-set tiebreaker.

A focused Ebden spiked two smashes in the first four points staking Australia to a 4-0 tiebreaker lead. Ebden slid a return down the line off the Ram second serve as the Aussies extended to 5-1.

Peers served out the second-set tiebreaker to force the 10-point match tiebreaker to decide the gold-medal champion.

Wearing his sungless beneath his baseball cap, Peers saw the light and came alive in the 10-point match tiebreaker. Peers hit a volley winner to put Australia up 5-2, then pulled off one of the most sensational shots of the day.

Running so far wide off the court he nearly crashed into the linesman, Peers made a tremendous dig to prolong the point and Krajicek’s smash strayed wide as Australia was pumped up going up 7-2.

Ebden won a forehand duel vs. Ram to give the green and gold four gold-medal points at 9-5 before Peers finally closed a stirring show.

Gold for the Aussies! 🥇

Matthew Ebden & John Peers take the men’s doubles gold medal. Winning Australia’s first gold in the Olympic Tennis Event since Atlanta 1996#Paris2024 | #Olympics | #tennis pic.twitter.com/pyffvwrTY8

— ITF (@ITFTennis) August 3, 2024