Wimbledon 2024: Kiwi Erin Routliffe falls to straight sets defeat in doubles final, still becomes world No 1

Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski in the Wimbeldon women's doubles final. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe has fallen to defeat in the Wimbledon women’s doubles final, as her and partner Gabriela Dabrowski were bested by Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic and USA’s Taylor Townsend.

While on paper, the Kiwi and her Canadian partner fell to a straight sets 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1) loss, both were decided by tiebreak, in a contest that lasted over two hours on centre court.

Regardless of the defeat, Routliffe and Dabrowski reaching the final ahead of top seeds Elise Mertens of Belgium and Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hseih has seen the Kiwi jump to the status of world No 1 for the first time.

“We knew it was going to be such a battle,” said Routliffe after the loss.

“This was my first Wimbledon final, hopefully not my last. Thank you so much to Gabby.

“There’s something about Wimbledon that makes you so much more emotional. Every match we’ve won I’ve been crying like a baby.

“Gabby took a chance on me a year ago, and it’s completely changed my life. I’m so excited for the rest of the year to play together.”

Together, Routliffe and Dabrowski won the US Open women’s doubles title last year, but have been limited together in 2024 after the Canadian has battled injury.

Despite a break in the first set to give Routliffe and Dabrowski a 5-4 lead, Townsend and Siniakova broke back right away, en route to taking the opener in 54 minutes after a tiebreak.

Things could have been much different for Routliffe and Dabrowski, though, as the duo squandered a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak, and left a backs to the wall scenario if they were to take the title.

At the start of the second set, with scores locked at 1-1, Routliffe and Dabrowski were at risk of being broken again.

However, as the pair saved three separate break points, the Canadian was able to hold serve, albeit before her and Routliffe squandered two break points of their own in the next game.

As the second set went with serve, Routliffe and Dabrowski saved another break point at 4-4, and held to take a 5-4 lead.

A Routliffe forehand winner at the net gave her and Dabrowski a 6-5 lead, and as Townsend and Siniakova held, a second tiebreak was needed.

Down 0-5 in the break, Routliffe and Dabrowksi were at the very least able to claim a point in the tiebreak. But when Siniakova and Townsend won the next, and had five championship points up their sleeve, it was only a matter of time before the Kiwi ended up on the losing side.

In the end, they would need just one, as a Routliffe double fault spelt the end of the tournament, and condemned the Kiwi to a second-place finish.

Routliffe will now begin preparations for this year’s Paris Olympics, where her and partner Lulu Sun - fresh from her own Wimbledon run - will compete in the women’s doubles.

Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.