World melts over Aussie daughter’s act before gold medal win

The daughter of Aussie gold medal hero John Peers is going viral for the most heart-melting moment of the Games so far.

I’m not crying. You’re crying.

In the frenzied finish to John Peers and Matt Ebden’s historic gold medal win in the men’s doubles, the TV cameramen found Peers’ daughter Ellie in the grandstand and they never took their eyes off her.

Ellie, 7, has melted hearts around the world as she cheered her father on from inside the Philippe Chatrier centre court at Roland Garros.

Peers and Ebden put their families through a rollercoaster of emotion when they needed four match points in the deciding match tie-break before completing a 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-1), 10-8 win over American pair Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.

The unseeded Aussies came back from a set and break down before giving Australia its first men’s doubles gold since Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodford at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

Nobody was more elated than Peers’ daughters Ellie and Harper.

Footage of Ellie crossing her fingers and riding every point like Jess Fox down a slalom course is going viral.

I've just got something in my eye. Photo: Eurosport.

I'm not crying. You're crying. Photo: Eurosport.

Tennis commentator Catherine Whittaker said on the global TV broadcast: “She’s sending all the energy to the Aussie team”.

She might just have been what got them over the line - and it’s an early contender for being the most heartwarming moment of the Games.

The cameras turned back onto Ellie moments after the match point madness to show her swallowing her mum in a fierce hug.

Moments later Ellie, Harper and Ebden’s son Harvey were being lifted down onto the court to cuddle their dads.

The moment the Peers family became gold medallists.

John Peers with his daughters on the court. Photo: Eurosport.

Harvey got tossed in the air like it was just another day at the playground, while Peers carried both his children in his arms.

They were beautiful scenes — and everything the Olympics are about.

One spectator wrote on Twitter: “This was such a thrilling match to watch. Such an impressive win by these two. John Peers’ daughter made me tear up just a little”.

One Twitter user wrote: “John Peers’ oldest daughter is so cute, cheering him on and crossing her fingers so tight the whole tie-break”.

Another Twitter user wrote: “Lovin every minute of Aussies Matty Ebden, John Peers & kids celebrate after taking gold”.

Of course their children were one of the first things the pair were asked about when speaking with reporters after the match.

Too cute. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images.

No better feeling. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images.

“I’ve been getting some video sent back from her class at school. They got dressed up for green-and-gold day on Friday,” he said, per News Corp.

“The whole school sent Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi to us in a video. From the word go, she’s wanted a medal to take home. I probably think for show-and-tell but hopefully one day she can look back on these moments and it can hopefully inspire her do whatever she wants to do. Dream big and just know anything is possible when you put your mind to it.

“I know from a young age, looking up and watching all the Aussie athletes, it didn’t matter what the sport was – Olympics, Boxing Day Test, footy, I loved watching sport and you’d dream big and decide that’s what you want to do,” Peers said.

“Hopefully I can instil a little bit of that into my girls. Hopefully they can dream big one day and know the sky’s the limit for them. They can do anything they put their mind to.”

For Peers, it was a second Games medal to go with the bronze he claimed alongside Ash Barty in the mixed doubles in Tokyo three years ago.