New Delhi: Erin Rotliff was born in Auckland while her parents were on an around-the-world sailing adventure, with New Zealand serving as their base. They stayed in the country for four years, before returning to their home in Ontario, Canada, where they had two more daughters.Erin’s travels then took her to Montreal, to the National Training Center, then to the University of Alabama, where she played college tennis.
In 2017, when he graduated and turned pro, he expressed his desire to switch allegiance to the country of his birth, despite playing for Canada at the Junior Grand Slam and Junior Fed Cup.Erin’s sister Tess, also born in Auckland, has gone the opposite way, winning silver for Canada in the women’s 200m individual medley SM7 at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.“I was leaving college, and I wanted to play pro, and the New Zealand federation was really supportive. And it was like a fresh start for me, to be able to play with a new team, new coaches, new everything. And to be able to play the Billie Jean King Cup right away,” Erin explained to TimesofIndia.com.
Erin Rotliff is representing New Zealand in the Billie Jean King Cup. (Instagram)
“I played my first match out of college in 2017. It was an amazing experience. And I’ve been playing almost every year since then. Maybe that’s why I switched. Obviously I have a lot of ties to Canada and New Zealand. But I’m very happy to represent New Zealand and play in the Billie Jean King Cup,” she said, referring to the team’s first F Cup.Erin Rotliff won two US Open titles and one WTA Tour final with Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski. She will reach the top of the doubles rankings in July 2024.After a largely underwhelming singles career — peaking at a career-high 582nd in the world — he has reaped the rewards of a ‘natural’ doubles game.
Erin Rotliff is a two-time major champion and former world No. 1. (Instagram)
“I think I’ve always loved doubles a lot. It came very naturally to me. I loved being a teammate. I loved celebrating with another person. I thought if I was going to be one of the best, at the top of the game, it was going to be in doubles.“During COVID, the cut-off for tournaments became very tight. So my doubles ranking could get me into a lot of tournaments, and my singles ranking wasn’t getting me. So it was like a natural transition,” she reasoned, as she transitioned into a full-time doubles player.The 31-year-old admitted that the isolation of the game also played a role in the change. The difference came in the form of Dabrowski and his team with the popular saying “it takes a village”.After a three-year association from 2023 to 2025, Rotliff parted ways with Dabrowski and partnered America’s Asia Muhammad at the start of the year.
Erin Rotliff teamed up with Asia Muhammad before parting ways at the beginning of the year. (Instagram)
After eight tournaments, with the quarterfinals at the Miami Open the best showing, they have decided to go their separate ways. In Charleston, Rotliff lost in the second round to Jennifer Brady.“Some people play singles, so they’re not prioritizing it (doubles). When you play with someone, you do everything with them. You see them every single day, all year. Sometimes things fall through,” Rotliff said of why the partner changes so often.“I was talking to an older player who had played with his partner for eight years, which I thought was amazing. You don’t really see that anymore. “I think men play a little longer, but they’re also changing a lot. It’s just the way it is. I don’t know exactly why, but it definitely makes it interesting,” she continued.
There are many challenges. You obviously have to figure out whether your playing styles match each other, and then your personalities and high-pressure situations.
Erin Rotliff on changing partners during the season
What makes the whole process tougher is changing partners during the season.“It’s really tough. There’s a lot of challenges. You obviously have to find your playing styles together, and then figure out your personalities and the high-pressure situations.“I think the last five or six years I’ve only played doubles, I’ve changed partners a lot, obviously playing with Gabby (Dabrowski) for about three years.“It was constant, but you get used to playing with different partners all the time. To be one of the best doubles players in the world, you have to be able to play with a lot of different people. Hopefully I can do that,” she added.
