‘Tennis is tough… find your why’: How breakdown fuelled Routliffe’s breakthrough

NEW DELHI: Two-time US Open doubles champion and former World No. 1 Erin Routliffe had a turbulent 2023, marked by eight consecutive defeats and a mental breakdown. She returned to claim two US Open doubles titles and reach the Wimbledon doubles final in 2024, while taking inspiration from sister Tess, a decorated para swimmer. Excerpts from an interview...

You faced a first-round loss at Wimbledon in 2019. Can you take us through that?
That loss was tough. But ultimately it made me stronger at the end of the day. It’s something that I learned a lot from. I always say every loss teaches you something. I brought that into my experience in Slams for years after.

You stepped away from tennis for nearly six months after that...
I wasn’t enjoying it. I thought ultimately you want to be happy and so I gave up. But somewhere inside me I wanted to leave the sport in a positive way. I didn’t think I was going to come back to tennis, but I missed it after a couple of months. So thankfully, I returned with a different mindset.

In 2023, you suffered a mental breakdown. Take us through that time period.
It was definitely a massive life moment for me. I couldn’t have done it without Bruce (coach Lipka). Lot of people in the background helped. I was 28 that time. It was very tough but people around me supported and believed in me. I think it all came into that one moment and the only thing I felt really was joy.

Many athletes go through similar struggles. What’s your advice for them?
I would say ‘find your why and kind of stick to that’! Tennis is such a tough sport. You are alone a lot, and you don’t have many people around you most of the time unless you are at the top of your sport. I think that’s what is remarkable about this sport is you grind for so many years to get there. So, just keep going, keep fighting and make sure you find what makes you happy.

Tell us about your sister Tess and her influence in your journey...
Tess has inspired me since she was little. I watched her go to the pool at 4 am for practice. I have always been envious of her and her ability to work really hard all the time. I am her big sister but she inspires me in so many ways. We both were in Paris (Olympics 2024), she was there a month after. But if we could both be in the Los Angeles (Games 2028), that would be really fun.

How have your preparations been for the BJK Cup?
The preparations have been pretty good. I have been playing more matches and have become a full-timer on tour. So, I play a lot of tennis. I think we can beat any team here. It’s all really close. I am confident about our chances.

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