NEW YORK — Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are back in the U.S. Open women’s doubles final, two years after they shocked the tennis world by winning their very first Grand Slam together in New York.
The road back hasn’t been easy. Since their breakthrough, the Canadian duo has faced injuries, illnesses, and even a cancer diagnosis. Now, after all the setbacks, they look ready to reclaim the spotlight.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, and Routliffe, who lives in Montreal but represents New Zealand internationally, have built their success on an aggressive, net-rushing style that rattles opponents. But over the last 18 months, they’ve had to push through challenges of their own.
In April 2024, Dabrowski was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent two surgeries and endocrine therapy, all while staying on tour. On top of that, both she and Routliffe suffered fractured ribs in the past year oddly, from the same cause: coughing fits brought on by bronchitis.
Routliffe’s injury came after they won the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh last November. Dabrowski’s hit her a few months later, forcing the team to withdraw from a semifinal just before the French Open, which they ended up missing for the second year in a row.
Their lack of preparation was obvious early in the season. Without a proper pre-season, they went straight into the Australian Open. Even so, they fought through three grueling three-set matches before falling in the semifinals a strong run considering the circumstances.
But wins were hard to come by after that. “We had a rough beginning to the year,” Routliffe admitted. “For four to five months, we weren’t playing the way I think we can. We were losing a lot of close matches. You lose your confidence. And then dealing with injuries on top of that… it was tough.”
Despite the setbacks, they kept going. Dabrowski even managed a Wimbledon doubles final appearance with Routliffe and took home a mixed doubles bronze medal at the Paris Olympics with Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Her rib injury, though, took everything she had to manage. “I threw the kitchen sink at it,” Dabrowski said. She bought her own ultrasound machine, worked daily with doctors and physios, and monitored her healing constantly. Just making the Wimbledon quarterfinals, she said, felt like a victory.
After a disappointing early exit in Montreal, the pair bounced back in Cincinnati, winning a Masters 1000 title. Now, seeded third in New York, they’ve pulled off two comeback wins and most recently defeated second-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals.
On Friday, they’ll face their toughest test yet: top seeds Taylor Townsend of the U.S. and Katerina Siniakova of Czechia. Townsend and Siniakova have been dominant, winning the Australian Open this year and reaching the final in New York without dropping a set. Siniakova, already a 10-time Grand Slam doubles champion, adds plenty of experience.
Still, Dabrowski and Routliffe know they can beat them. The Canadians took down the same team in the WTA Finals last year in their only previous meeting.
For Dabrowski, now living with the long-term effects of cancer treatment, perspective is everything. She has scans every six months and says the therapy side effects are “very similar to menopause.”
“I could retire tomorrow and be very happy with my career and my friendships,” she said. “So any success that I have feels like a full bonus.”
