'It takes a village': Erin Routliffe on loneliness, loyalty, and life as a doubles player

NEW DELHI: Erin Routliffe was born in Auckland while her parents were on an around-the-world sailing adventure, with New Zealand serving as their base at the time. They remained in the country for four years, having two more daughters before returning to their home in Ontario, Canada.

Erin's journey then took her to Montreal, at the National Training Centre, followed by the University of Alabama, where she played college tennis.



In 2017, when she graduated and turned pro, she expressed a desire to switch allegiance to the country of her birth, despite having already played junior Grand Slams and Junior Fed Cup for Canada.

Erin's sister Tess, who was also born in Auckland, has gone the opposite way, winning a silver medal in women's 200m individual medley SM7 at the 2016 Rio Paralympics for Canada.

"I was leaving college, and I wanted to play pro, and the New Zealand Federation was really supportive of that. And it was kind of like a fresh start for me, to be able to play with a new team, new coaches, new everything. And to be able to play Billie Jean King Cup right away," Erin explained her rationale to TimesofIndia.com.

"I played my first one in 2017 right out of college. That was an amazing experience. And I've played almost every single year since then. That's probably why I switched. I obviously have many ties to Canada and New Zealand. But I'm very happy to represent New Zealand and play Billie Jean King Cup," she continued, referring to the team competition that was earlier called the Fed Cup.

Erin Routliffe went on to win two US Open titles and a WTA Tour Finals with Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski. She would climb to the top of the doubles rankings in July 2024.

After a largely underwhelming singles career -- reaching a career-high of 582nd in the world -- she has reaped the rewards of a 'natural' doubles game.

"I think I always liked doubles a lot better. It came a lot more naturally to me. I liked having a teammate. I like being able to celebrate with another person. I thought if I was going to be one of the best, at the top of the game, it was going to be in doubles.

"During COVID, the cut-off for tournaments got a lot stronger. So my doubles ranking could get me into a lot of tournaments, and my singles ranking wasn't getting me in. So it was kind of like a natural transition," she reasoned, as she moved to a full-time doubles player.

The 31-year-old accepted that the loneliness of the sport also played a role in the transition. The difference came in the form of Dabrowski and her team with the popular saying of "it takes a village."

After a three-year association from 2023 until 2025, Routliffe split with Dabrowski and partnered with Asia Muhammad of the USA at the start of the year.

Eight tournaments later, with a best showing of quarterfinals at the Miami Open, they have decided to go their separate ways. At Charleston, Routliffe teamed up with Jennifer Brady, losing in the second round.

"Some people play singles, so that's why they're not prioritising it (doubles). When you play with someone, you do everything with them. You see them every single day, all year. Sometimes things just end," said Routliffe, on why there are frequent changes in partners.

"I was talking to an older player who played with her partner for eight years, which I thought was amazing. You don't really see that anymore.

"The men, I think, play a little bit longer, but they're also switching up a lot. It just is how it is. I don't know exactly why, but it definitely keeps it interesting," she continued.

What makes the whole process even tougher is switching partners during the season.

"It's really hard. There are a lot of challenges. You obviously have to figure out your game styles matching up together, and then your personalities and being in high-pressure situations.

"I think the last five or six years that I've played only doubles, I've switched partners a lot of the time, obviously playing with Gabby (Dabrowski) for almost three years.

"It was consistent, but you kind of get used to playing with different partners all the time. To be one of the best doubles players in the world, you have to be able to play with a lot of different people. Hopefully, I can do that," she added.

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