A decisive doubles win in Billie-Jean-King Cup qualifying last month saw Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski reach a “pretty good level” in the tournaments leading up to the French Open. She now hopes to build on that foundation in the second Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Dabrowski, the world’s 18th-ranked doubles player, will team up with Brazilian Luisa Stefani as the eighth seed in women’s play and American Nathaniel Lammons in mixed doubles at Roland Garros.
“I’m someone who is always looking to grow and improve my game in any way possible,” she said from Paris. “So I’m always looking for ways to get better in all parts of the court and in all ways. »
Dabrowski has established herself on the doubles scene since 2017, the season when she emerged from the shadows. She won her first Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros that year with the Indian Rohan Bopanna.
She won the mixed Australian Open title in 2018 with Croatian Mate Pavic, one of 13 career doubles titles on the Canadian record.
Last month in Vancouver, as part of the Billie-Jean-King Cup, the athlete from Ottawa teamed up with Lavallois Leylah Fernandez and defeated the Belgian tandem of Kirsten Flipkens and Greet Minnen, 6-1, 6-2.
The result gave Canada a 3-2 victory and a berth in the Billie-Jean-King Cup Finals, to be held in November in Seville, Spain.
Fernandez has also improved his doubles game this season. She reached two doubles finals in 2023 and rose to No. 36 in the world rankings.
“She’s got a really impressive attitude on the court, no matter the score,” Dabrowski noted in an interview with The Canadian Press. “She always gives 100%. She is not easily intimidated. »
“She stands up to anyone on the court, whether it’s singles or doubles, and that’s what I love about her. She learns incredibly fast. »
Dabrowski, 31, has played with different partners over the past few seasons. She reached the round of 16 with Mexico’s Giuliana Olmos at the Australian Open and started playing with Stefani at Indian Wells in March.
“She’s a great doubles player, natural, because she moves very well at the net,” described Robert Bettauer, longtime tennis commentator and former Canadian Davis Cup coach.
“She has a very smart, deep double serve that allows her to set up on the volley. She has a very good return of serve. In doubles, it’s not the power that counts, it’s the accuracy, and that’s what she has. This is his movement at the net. She is a fabulous net player. »
At Roland-Garros, Fernandez and American Taylor Townsend will face American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Italian Sara Errani.
Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino will team up with China’s Zhu Lin for a first-round match against the Chinese tandem of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.