Erin Routliffe revved up for Riyadh's WTA Finals

As Erin Routliffe steps into the WTA Finals in Riyadh, she again finds herself among the best in the world—a stage reserved for only the top eight teams in women’s doubles. 

The New Zealander, along with her Canadian doubles partner Gaby Dabrowski, is taking in the rarefied atmosphere of a tournament that showcases the elite of women’s tennis. The pressure is high, but so is the camaraderie and excitement among the players who have dedicated their year to earning a place there.

For Routliffe, the vibe among the players at this prestigious event is a blend of familiarity and intensity. “We’re all really happy to be here—this is what we’ve worked for,” Routliffe said. 

“Maybe we’re a little bit more smiley towards each other, but you definitely stay with your team, with your people. Everyone’s still in their own routine.”

Making it this far is no small feat, and while players are still sticking with their usual pre-match rituals and staying in their own groups, the knowledge that they’re part of something exceptional is ever-present. 

“It’s very similar to other tournaments now,” Routliffe says. “Maybe as people start losing and being done, it’ll change. But for now, everyone’s focused.”

But it’s not all tennis for Routliffe in Riyadh. On Friday she got to experience a different kind of high-stakes game: a live football match featuring global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. For Routliffe, it was an unforgettable evening.

“It was like an unbelievable life experience,” she said.

“I had the best time. I’m not really a football fan—I played it when I was a kid, but I don’t really follow it. 

“But the atmosphere at that stadium, and watching so many big names play, was incredible. My sister and I went with Gaby and Dan (Kiernan, coach), and it was a 12 out of 10 experience.”

Routliffe’s first WTA Finals experience was last year in Cancun, and she says this year’s event has a distinctly different feel.

“Mexico was such a last minute situation that they really struggled to make it as nice as they wanted to, and here they've had more time,” she said.

“It's the first year that they're doing it (in Riyadh), but they've put a lot of effort into it, and you can tell that they're trying really hard. 

“I didn't see any of it today, to see if people showed up, because in Mexico, that was really cool, there was a lot of fans. So we'll see. 

“But it's definitely a really different experience. Obviously, two completely different countries.”

Unlike the rest of the season, the WTA Finals begins with a round-robin format, with the eight teams split into two pools, before the top two advance to the semifinals. 

However, for Routliffe, the focus isn’t on the format, but winning each match.

“I don't even think that I've thought of it as a round robin,” she said. 

“I obviously know what group I'm in and what teams I have to play, but we haven't once talked about those other teams that we're playing. 

“We're just very focused on our first match against Chan (Hao Chin) and (Veronika) Kudermetova. I don't normally look at the draw, we just focus match by match. 

“It's very similar for us and our team. I think it does make it a bit different, because you are never out of it, even if you lose, which is very cool. I think more tournaments should do that!”