Gabriela Dabrowski won her second US Open women's doubles title alongside Erin Routliffe on Friday, the culmination of a "wild ride" that began with a breast cancer diagnosis last year.
Dabrowski and Routliffe beat the top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 6-4 to add to their 2023 crown and avenge last year's defeat in the Wimbledon final.
That loss came only weeks after Dabrowski returned to tennis following two surgeries and a three-month break after a biopsy revealed she had breast cancer.
The Canadian won Olympic bronze in the mixed doubles in Paris while receiving treatment and then teamed up with New Zealand's Routliffe to win the season-ending WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh.
Routliffe had her health struggles, too, as she fractured a rib in the off-season as a result of excessive coughing from bronchitis. Dabrowski then suffered the same injury earlier this year, and they missed a second successive French Open.
'WILD RIDE'
Such challenges made Friday's crowning moment, which earned them a split of $1 million in prize money, all the more special.
"Yeah, wild ride. Cancer, broken ribs for both of us. It was crazy, honestly," said Dabrowski. "I'm really proud of us. It was not easy.
"I think that's a testament to our work ethic and everything that we put in on court, off the court, with each other as friends too to, you know, keep the chemistry going.
"I think it's all culminated kind of into this moment. Yeah, I mean, I felt already really proud of us, I would say, at the end of last year in Riyadh, winning the WTA Finals. That kind of felt similar today, similar vibe.
"We have so many of our loved ones here today, and our coaching team has been phenomenal. To share it with everyone is just so special."
American Townsend, who reached the last 16 in the singles, and Czech partner Siniakova were bidding for their third Grand Slam doubles title together, having also won this year's Australian Open.
"Of course I wanted to win and have the trophy," said Townsend, who plans to give her runners-up silverware an unusual purpose.
"I'm probably going to do charcuterie board on this trophy, but – that would be pretty cool, right, to be served charcuterie on a US Open platter?"