Matt Ebden and John Pearce say adding to Australia’s gold medal tally at the Paris Olympics would be “more than a dream”.
Paris, France, August 4, 2024 | Vivienne Christie
Amid a joyous celebration that saw Matt Ebden and John Pearce share their proudest moments as athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, attention quickly turned to the Australian men’s team and their families.
Ebden’s wife Kim and two-year-old son Harvey were courtside as the pair proudly added to Australia’s gold medal haul in Paris. Pierce was supported by his wife Danielle and daughters Ellie and Harper.
“They’ll keep telling this story until we’re 100,” Pierce said with a smile.
And what amazing stories they will tell on that special day at Roland Garros.
Evdon and Peers fell behind Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajiv Ram by a set and a service break, but fought back to become only the second Australian duo to win an Olympic gold medal in tennis.
The event comes 28 years after Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodford won gold together at the 2004 Atlanta Olympics.
You made us all sit down@Matebden @johnwpeers.
A thriller worthy of GOLD!!
I’m so happy for you guys.
@iocmedia @ITFTennis @TennisAustralia pic.twitter.com/nv7OD3owrk— Mark Woodford (@MarkWoodforde) August 3, 2024
“It was a blur. We were speechless… It was a really tough game and of course I think it was a really high-quality game,” Ebden said of the pair’s 6-7(6) 7-6(1) win. [10-8] They came from behind to win against the 4th seed.
“We were up against it… we were definitely losing. But, you know, we kept believing, we kept fighting, we kept holding on strong.”
The 36-year-old unseeded Australian followed up his straight-set win over third-seeded Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Pole in the semifinals with another win.
Krajcek and Lahm, who have been ranked world number one for the past few years, defeated popular Spaniards Carlos Alcarra and Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
“It’s fantastic, it’s more than a dream,” said Ebden, who has won doubles trophies at Wimbledon (with Max Purcell in 2022) and the Australian Open (with India’s Rohan Bopanna in 2024) and won gold on her Olympic debut in Paris.
“I never dreamed of winning a gold medal or anything when I was young, but definitely over the past few years, [I’ve] He enjoyed great success on the doubles court. [that] “You gave me a lot of faith and confidence.”
Pierce is a two-time Grand Slam winner after winning the 2017 Australian Open with Henri Kontinen and the 2022 US Open mixed doubles title with Storm Sanders, and she also added an Olympic medal to her resume, winning bronze in the mixed doubles with Ash Barty at Tokyo 2020.
“Winning gold… is like a folk tale,” said Pearce, who was also a member of the Australian tennis team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“For me to be able to do that and say we’re gold medallists, I’m doing it for the green and gold for Australia and for the people back home, that’s why we play sport.”
The new Olympic tennis champion is delighted to be mentioned alongside gold medallists Woodbridge and Woodford.
“It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same context as those two. They paved the way for us,” Pierce said. “They were always there for us.”
Ebden and Pearce were equally delighted to see the broader team spirit strengthen as Australia has won at least one gold medal every day so far at the 2024 Paris Games.
“Everyone’s always looking out for each other, always cheering each other on. When someone comes back to town with a medal, everyone cheers them on as soon as they get there,” Pierce said.
“It’s a really close-knit group and I know Australia has an incredible history in the Olympics and sport in general. We’re a proud sporting nation.”
Having instilled the Olympic spirit in their children by watching other Australian athletes compete, Ebden and Pearce are particularly proud to have set such a successful example for their family.
As Pierce noted, the biggest lesson he hopes 7-year-old Ellie takes away from her courtside experience is “to dream big and know that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”
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