Nearly three years after winning her most recent Grand Slam doubles crown at 11 weeks pregnant and just a day after her son’s second birthday, Great Britain’s Jordanne Whiley is a major winner once again.

Whiley, who made a return to international wheelchair competition last February after 18 months away to give birth to her son, paired with longtime friend and doubles partner Yui Kamiji of Japan to defeat top seeds Diede de Groot and Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-4 in hot and windy conditions at the Australian Open.

“It means a lot. It hasn’t even been a year since I came back and Yui has put a lot of trust in partnering with me again because you never know what I was going to be like,” said the 27-year-old. “I’m not the same person or player as I was before. It shows that we’ve still got it even though I’ve been back less than a year, and I think that’s a testament to our relationship.”

It’s an 10th doubles Slam – and 11th in total - for Whiley, while Kamiji captured her 15th doubles major title, Whiley hitting a drop shot winner on match point to seal the victory.

“It’s always difficult to play against them,” Kamiji, 25, said of the No.1 Dutch duo. “We’ve talked a lot about how to beat them. Today we were very focused for the match, talking between every point. When we are good, we’re smiling and having fun, not just playing. Today was that day.”

Kamiji will turn her attention to the singles final on Saturday, when she meets van Koot in the championship match.

Matches were delayed on an uncomfortable day in Melbourne, as temperatures topped 43C/102F and winds swept through Melbourne Park. Rainstorms also came through, pushing the start time back nearly three hours.

None of that bothered Whiley’s British compatriots, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, who bounced back from a first set loss on Court 3 to overcome the top seeds in their final, as well. They were 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 winners over Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer, the French pair.

“This is our first together at the Aussie Open and we’ve been really wanting it,” said Hewett, 22. “For quite a few years now we have had opportunities, so to take the trophy home really means a lot to me and to us as a pair.”

“The next focus for us is Roland Garros,” added Reid, 28, making mention of the only major the duo is yet to win together. “To get this one in the bag together, as a team, in a tough situation and a tough match, it makes it extra special.”

Reid, like Kamiji, will try to capture the AO double on Saturday when he meets top seed and 43-time major champion Shingo Kunieda in the final. Kunieda – should he win – would tie Esther Vergeer’s all-time record (in singles and doubles) for Slam titles won.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge, Shingo is in top form, hence why he’s back at No.1 in the world,” Reid said. “I’ve got great memories from this event, winning my first Grand Slam singles title here (in 2016). And I’ve played well this week with a couple of strong wins. I’m going to go out and enjoy it and try and impose my style.”

The quad men’s event had its third round-robin matches played on Friday, with No.1 seed and Australian hope Dylan Alcott coming through undefeated.

He won in just over an hour on Friday evening inside Court 3, 6-3, 6-1 against American David Wagner.

Alcott will play Britain’s Andy Lapthorne in the final, the player who stopped him one match short of the calendar Grand Slam just a few months ago, winning in the US Open final. Lapthorne beat Heath Davidson, Alcott’s fellow Aussie and doubles partner, 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6 (10-5) in a battle that lasted two hours and 32 minutes.

Whiley, who said she FaceTimed son Jackson to help celebrate his turning two, embraced Kamiji in a hug after her drop shot winner in the women’s doubles final, the two having a friendship that stretches back years.

All 10 of Whiley’s doubles majors have come alongside Kamiji, starting in 2014 right here at the Australian Open. The duo went on to win the calendar Slam that year.

The calendar Slam – and Olympic gold – is on the minds of Kamiji, van Koot, Kunieda, Reid, Alcott and Lapthorne, who will contest the three respective finals on Saturday afternoon.

The quad event, with Alcott as the home hero, will get the biggest spotlight of all: Alcott and Lapthorne will do battle inside Rod Laver Arena following the junior finals.

Alcott and Davidson teamed up for the quad doubles title, beating Lapthorne and Wagner on Thursday evening inside Margaret Court Arena. Alcott gave a nod to tournament organisers after the win for their scheduling of the wheelchair events on Melbourne Park’s show courts.

“Thank you for embracing wheelchair tennis at the Australian Open,” he said.

Van Koot and Kamiji will play their final on the bowled, 2,000-seat Court 3, followed by Kunieda versus Reid. Reid hasn’t won a singles major since Wimbledon in 2016, while Kunieda is winless in singles Slams since Roland Garros in 2018.

Kamiji also last won a singles major at the French in 2018, while van Koot won Wimbledon just last year.

Kunieda said he won’t focus on that all-time record he is going for, but instead the opponent across the net from him.

“He’s a good lefty,” Kunieda said. “I’m playing good now. I should have confidence going out there.”