Dabrowski: Bronze for Canada is bigger than winning for myself
Gabriela Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime claimed a bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event after coming through a tight second set to defeat Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof 6-3 7-6(2).
The Dutch fought back from a double break down in the second set to force a tiebreak, but the Canadian duo kept their cool to clinch a second-ever medal for their country.
After the match, Dabrowski, who is the daughter of a Polish immigrant, spoke about just how important it was for her to win on the Olympic stage.
"I just feel like there's almost nothing better than winning a medal, because it means so much more than something that you accomplish for your individual career," she explained. "It means a lot more for your country. And when I say for your country, what does for your country really mean?
"It means a kid like me growing up with an immigrant parent, who's pushing them to do as well as they can in their sport, but for what reason?
"To have exposure to a different life, to make friends from all around the world, to meet people you would never get the chance to do to do so. And it's also something that I always found really inspiring as a kid.
"So, long-winded answer, the Olympics means a lot because it's just so much bigger than yourself. To be in a position where I can give back and represent and do it alongside some unbelievable athletes. I can't ask for anything more."
The Canadians are both recent world champions, with Auger-Aliassime helping the men to win Davis Cup in 2022, while Dabrowski was part of the team that won Billie Jean King Cup last November.
View this post on Instagram
They join Sebastian Lareau and Daniel Nestor as the only players to have previously laid their hands on an Olympic medal in tennis, winning gold in the men’s doubles back in Sydney.
Auger-Aliassime revealed what taking at least one medal home means to him, saying: "It's great when you’re rewarded because you don’t often get rewarded [in tennis]. It’s a tough sport. We lose most of the time. We know the Olympics is always once every four years so to catch a medal is amazing.
"To finish on a high note like this is amazing. Whenever in life you get rewarded for staying resilient and working hard, that pushes you to keep on doing that."
Auger-Aliassime has the chance to double his medal tally when he competes in the bronze medal match in the men’s singles on Saturday. He will take on Lorenzo Musetti, who fell to Novak Djokovic in the other semi-final match on Friday night.