World Media Reacts to Kiwi Erin Routliffe’s WTA Tour Finals Doubles Title

Media outlets from Aotearoa and around the world have reacted to Erin Routliffe’s WTA Finals victory alongside doubles partner and friend Gaby Dabrowski from Canada.

The pair beat Czech Kateřina Siniaková and American Taylor Townsend in the final 7-5, 6-3.

Routliffe and Dabrowski were unbeaten during the group stage, leaving the tournament with a 5-0 record.

While nearly all tennis tournaments follow a knockout format, the year-end WTA Tour Finals (where only the top eight teams in the world are invited,) begin with a round-robin stage before moving to elimination rounds.

The tournament is considered the most prestigious tournament outside of the four Grand Slams, although the prize money on offer was stronger than at any of the Grand Slams.

Matt Roberts - The Tennis Podcast

Matt Roberts from The Tennis Podcast, the most listened to podcast in tennis, was quick to congratulate Erin and Gaby.

“I think Erin Routliffe was the MVP and the star of this final.”

“She's got quite a laid-back approach, she's very tall, and yet she doesn’t bend her knees all that much. She can be quite deceptive, she can look like she's not putting that much effort in, but she's got these incredible hands, and she came up with so many brilliant pickups in this match.”

“Dabrowski and Routliffe all tournament had this ability to suffer a set loss, and immediately bounce back and get it together again.”

“It was Wimbledon revenge having lost to them [Kateřina Siniaková & Taylor Townsend] in the final at Wimbledon.”

“Worthy worthy winners, it’s life changing money for these players.”

Courtney Nguyen - WTA Insider

WTA Insider talked with Routliffe & Dabrowski about their relaxed approach, that was evident in Dabrowski’s sly smile as she served at match point.

“Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe came in as the No.2 seeds at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF. They walked away as the champions, running through a dramatic doubles tournament to finish a perfect 5-0 at the season-ending championships.”

“It was a fairytale finish to a 2024 campaign that didn't always go according to plan, but one which saw the Canadian-New Zealand duo learn to laugh and let go.”

"We found some newfound perspective and we've learned to enjoy the hard moments and embrace the challenge," Routliffe told WTA Insider. "We're trying to enjoy it no matter what, even if we aren't."

“That happy-go-lucky mindset was on full display in their dominant performance in the final, where they avenged their Wimbledon final loss to Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend to win 7-5, 6-3. Shanked overheads were met with a shrug. When Siniaková and Townsend came up with otherworldly shots on key points, Routliffe laughed.”

“After squandering two championship points to give Siniaková and Townsend a sniff at a comeback, Dabrowski smiled as she prepared to serve. The 32-year-old from Ottawa landed a good first serve and the title was theirs.”

The win has also been covered widely in Canadian media, as Gaby Dabrowski becomes the first Canadian woman to win the WTA Tour Finals Doubles title. Mentioned by Tennis Canada, TSN, CBC, and the Ottawa Citizen, the local outlet from Dabrowski's home city. 

Back home, 1News called it "Arguably the biggest win of their careers". With the story also covered by Radio New Zealand, Scoop, and NZ Sports Wire.