Australian tennis star Ashleigh Barty has fallen a win short of crowning her triumphant grand slam season with a second straight US Open doubles title.

Barty and Victoria Azarenka lost 7-5 7-5 to third seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens in Sunday’s final in New York.

Australia’s French Open champion had been bidding to become the first player to claim back-to-back women’s doubles title in at Flushing Meadows in 12 years, but can instead console herself in the knowledge she’ll regain the world No.1 singles ranking on Monday.