New Zealand tennis may have enjoyed the glow of Olympic bronze this year but it's on the grind of the year-long pro circuit where our Kiwi doubles players have been quietly achieving.
While Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell continue to fly the flag on the men's tour, Erin Routliffe has rocketed up the women’s rankings in what's been a breakthrough 2021, capped off with her first WTA title in Italy in July.
"I'm really happy with the way the year has gone. I've hit a career high,” Routliffe told 1News.
“I've done a lot of things with my tennis that I hadn't before which is always nice."
Those ‘things’ include reaching 54th in the world for doubles which Routliffe credited partly to a sharpened focus on her mental game and more discipline in her match preparation.
"I just tried to stay really positive and enjoy all the moments, no matter if they were good or bad,” she said.
“Eventually it turned for me and I'm playing much better and getting more opportunities every single week."
The 26-year-old also enjoyed a front row seat to the biggest story in tennis this year when teenagers Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez stormed to the US Open final.
Routliffe enjoyed an up-close experience thanks to Fernandez being her doubles partner in New York.
"We went for our warmup the next day and there were at least 400 people watching us just warm up on a back court. I was like, ‘my goodness, this is your life now Leylah - you better eat it up’!"
Routliffe said she’s keen to reignite the partnership next year as she looks to make even greater strides in her ascent up the tennis rankings.
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