Canadian tennis star Gabriela Dabrowski has clinched her second Grand Slam title at the US Open, a year after battling cancer. She and her partner Erin Routliffe triumphed over top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova with a 6-4 6-4 victory, reclaiming the women’s doubles crown two years after their initial win.
Dabrowski revealed on New Year’s Eve last year that she had been playing through treatment for breast cancer, having received her diagnosis in April 2024. After taking a two-and-a-half-month break, which included undergoing two operations, she reached the Wimbledon final with Routliffe. The pair also won the WTA Finals at the end of last season.
Reflecting on her journey after lifting the trophy in New York, Dabrowski described it as a “wild ride”.
“Cancer, broken ribs for both of us, it was crazy, honestly,” the 33-year-old added. “I’m really proud of us. It was not easy, but I think we’ve shown that, even if we don’t have a consistent schedule like the other teams have, we can still bring a really high level, which is awesome.
“I think that’s a testament to our work ethic and everything that we put in on court, off the court, with each other as friends, too, to keep the chemistry going. I think it’s all culminated into this moment.”
The defeat marked the end of an unforgettable tournament for Townsend, following her viral courtside confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko after a second-round singles clash.
Ostapenko ultimately issued an apology following her accusations that Townsend lacked education and class, which sparked allegations of racism that the Latvian subsequently refuted.
“I feel like this tournament changed my life in terms of exposure,” said Townsend, who endured a devastating singles fourth-round defeat despite holding eight match points against Barbora Krejcikova.
“My social media followers have quadrupled. It’s crazy. I really feel like the type of tennis that I played and just the person and the player that I am now really gained a lot of respect in the locker room amongst my counterparts.
“Even Novak (Djokovic) said something to me. Jannik (Sinner) said something to me. Like, ‘Hey, like, you played really well, keep going, keep going’. Everyone was watching. It’s been fun.”