Gabriela Dabrowski | A champion on a mission

Gabriela Dabrowski will appear at the National Bank Open in Toronto with the objective of defending her title. She also intends to give luster to the women’s doubles.

Posted at 7:00 a.m.

Nicholas Richard

Nicholas Richard
The Press

Dabrowski is fourth in the world doubles rankings, a career high. Canada has one of the best players on the planet, yet her success doesn’t make headlines.

The 30-year-old Ottawan now has 11 WTA Tour titles and is currently enjoying one of the best seasons of her career. Although clay is her least favorite surface, Dabrowski and partner Giuliana Olmos outdid themselves at the start of the summer. With a title in Madrid and a final in Rome the following week, the duo confirmed that they were one of the most dangerous on the planet.

Nevertheless, Dabrowski’s notoriety did not explode. “I think my accomplishments still go under the radar, but I’m not worried because it’s not really what I’m looking for,” she said before playing the tournament in San Jose (from 1er to August 7).

Even if she is not in perpetual quest for recognition, she is fully aware that her popularity is not proportional to the greatness of her exploits.

After all, this Canadian won the National Bank Open last year in Montreal, and she savored this significant victory in front of very few people. The game wasn’t even televised.

“The double is still very little considered, and it does not yet have the attention it deserves. I hope the Toronto crowd will be excited to see all the players because it means a lot to us. »

play at home

Even if she returns home to Ontario, Dabrowski is skeptical that playing at home will give her an extra edge. Not least because it happens so infrequently that it’s hard to measure or compare the impact of local supporters. It is certainly more memorable to play in front of family and friends, but at the same time, it also means that there are more expectations, due to the rarity of the moment.


PHOTO AARON DOSTER, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

Gabriela Dabrowski

She adds that this is not a negative. No one can put more pressure on her than she puts on herself.

“Last year, when I won, it was a big tournament and I have a lot of points to protect for the whole month of August. There will be a good atmosphere, and I hope that despite the pressure, I will be able to perform well, ”she said.

Continue Sequence

Dabrowski will show up in the Queen City with the intention of winning. A definite advantage, knowing that she can achieve it. She has worked a lot on her physical form since the start of the season by hiring a physical trainer. She recovers more easily, she is more mobile, more flexible and more enduring. His improvements have shown on the ground and have yielded convincing results.

She is therefore pumped up, but she refuses to be trapped by an excess of confidence. She prefers to build on small daily achievements, rather than looking at her record and her results to convince herself that she can win.

I focus more on what I want to accomplish on the pitch, how I can improve every day and how I can solidify my duo with my teammate.

Gabriela Dabrowski

Besides, becoming familiar with a new partner prevents Dabrowski from thinking too big. Finding duplicate chemistry is so difficult that each new duo is a sign of starting over. Last year, she won with Luisa Stefani.

She has now played more than ten tournaments with Olmos and she has gotten to know and discover her new teammate. That’s why it can be risky to rely on the work done last summer.

“We have more of a team goal, to be able to evolve together, become better teammates and see that day by day, according to our opponents. You have to train well to be ready for any eventuality,” she added.

Now that they are back on a hard surface, all hopes are allowed. In preparation for the United States Open, where they could strike a blow, Dabrowski wants to use her week in Toronto to propel her discipline at home.


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