Canada’s Dabrowski, partner Routliffe returns to the women’s doubles final at the U.S. Open
Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe returned to the U.S. Open Women’s Doubles Final two years after a partnership, and immediately won their first Grand Slam title in New York.
Life becomes complicated afterwards. But despite all their trials and tribulations over the past 18 months, it feels like it is indeed back.
These two duo pride themselves on making their opponents super aggressive, classic online gaming style must deal with a lot of discomforts.
Dabrowski of Ottawa and Routliffe, a Canadian living in Montreal, fell into New Zealand’s international New Zealand in April 2024 after he was treated.
And, in a sign of a true partnership synergy, the same damage has been taken over the past year: a fractured rib due to a cough caused by bronchitis.
For Routliffe, it was the last off-season after winning the WTA Tour final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last November.
For Dabrowski, it happened in February. The MRI in Wells, India was not disclosed in March.
But within a week of starting the European spring clay swing, she felt very painful again. The two had to withdraw from the semifinals of the match the week before Roland Garros.
Then they had to miss the French Open for the second consecutive year.
Routliffe’s off-season injury means the two are unable to get the proper preseason. They went straight to the Australian Open without any competition.
They fought in a three-set win trio before bowing in the semifinals, an impressive feat.
But after that, victory did not come. Then Dabrovsky’s injury.
“Our year started to be tough,” Rutliff said. “In four to five months, we didn’t play our minds as I thought. We lost a lot of close games and then it was like you lost confidence.
“Our average years are already very average, but we try to stick to the process, work hard and work hard and believe the results will come.”
Dabrowski received two surgeries and endocrine therapy for breast cancer in 2024 while still managing a busy tennis schedule. She won the Wimbledon doubles final with Routliffe and won a mixed doubles bronze medal with Félix Auger-Aliassime at the Paris Olympics.
She said she “threw the kitchen sink” when she suffered a rib injury.
“I have a lot of people trying to help me,” Dabrovski said. “It’s just another level of every day of talking to doctors and Physios. I invested in my own therapeutic ultrasound machine in the weeks leading to Wimbledon.
“I did multiple dynamic ultrasound scans to assess whether the recovery started and the risk of playing. So even making Wimbledon’s quarter of the grade was a big success in itself.”
They won 1,000 titles in Cincinnati after the crash in Montreal earlier last month.
So far, the third seed Dabrowski and Routliffe have won two comebacks in New York. They beat second-seed Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in a 6-4, 6-3 semifinal.
In Friday’s final, they will face the top seed team of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova of the U.S.
The two won the Australian Open this year and did not win in five wins that reached the finals. Siniakova has 10 female Grand Slam Tag Team Championships with various partners.
Dabrowski and Routliffe beat them in the final of the WTA final.
Dabrowski still has to manage the consequences of cancer. She had a scan every six months and continued her endocrine therapy.
The side effects, she said, are “very similar to menopause.”
“In 2023, I’m so grateful for our partnership and the team behind us. It’s so cool to start playing together and get amazing results so quickly,” Dabrovsky said. “And then fast forward this year. After so much nonsense, the point I found was that I was going to play tennis, you know? It’s not what I was going to do.
“I can retire tomorrow and be very happy with my career, friendships and all the relationships I have built over the years. As a person, I am really good at heart. So any success I have felt like a complete reward.”
