Gabriela Dabrowski becomes 1st Canadian to win WTA Finals title

Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski made more Canadian tennis history on Saturday.

Dabrowski and doubles partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand secured the WTA Finals title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after defeating Czech Katerina Siniakova and American Taylor Townsend 7-5, 6-3.

The 32-year-old Dabrowski became the first Canadian to win a title at the WTA Finals, which are reserved for the top eight doubles teams and top eight singles players in the world.

She and Routliffe have already earned a combined $605,000 US — $170K for participating, $70K for each of their three group-stage wins and $255K for their semifinal victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez. They now add another $520,000 for winning the final, amounting to a total of $1.125 million.

WATCH l Dabrowski, partner Routliffe winners at WTA Finals:

Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski became the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title, when she and her doubles partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand beat Czech Katerina Siniakova and American Taylor Townsend 7-5, 6-3 in the doubles final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won the U.S. Open women’s doubles title in 2023, when they got $700,000, and reached this year’s Wimbledon final together too.

Routliffe represents New Zealand in competition but previously played under the Canadian flag. Her parents are Canadian but she was born in New Zealand as they sailed around the world. She resides in Caledon, Ont.

Dabrowski’s list of accomplishments includes the mixed doubles bronze medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal and the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup team tournament with Canada.

She has two other majors after conquering the French Open and Australian Open mixed doubles titles in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Shapovalov wins 2nd ATP Tour title 

Denis Shapovalov won his second ATP Tour title — and first in five years — by defeating home-country favourite Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 at the Belgrade Open in Serbia on Saturday.

The only other championship trophy for Shapovalov, of Canada, came in Stockholm in 2019. This trophy, however, was presented by Serbian legend Novak Djokovic.

Shapovalov, a tournament qualifier, won in 77 minutes on the strength of 13 aces and a winning percentage of 82 on first-serve points. The 25-year-old missed the second half of 2023 because of injury and spent this season working back into form.

For Medjedovic, 21, it was his first ATP Tour final.

WATCH | Shapovalov wins Belgrade Open: 

Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ontario., defeated Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 for the Canadian’s first ATP victory since 2019.

Gauff wins WTA Finals singles title

Coco Gauff won the WTA Finals for the first time by rallying to beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the final on Saturday.

The 20-year-old American came from 2-0 and 5-3 down in the final set and was two points from defeat at one stage.

Gauff beat the world’s top two players — Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek — on her run to the final at the season-ending event in Riyadh.

Zheng was looking to complete a season in which she reached a grand slam final for the first time at the Australian Open and delivered China’s first Olympic tennis singles gold medal.