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STA Celebrates US Open Title with Gaby Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe

Posted on: September 8, 2025 |

SotoTennis Academy Celebrates US Open Title with Gaby Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe

SotoTennis Academy is incredibly proud of Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, who have won their second US Open Women’s title!

After more than two years of working closely with STA Director Dan Kiernan, Gaby and Erin showcased incredible teamwork and resilience to lift the trophy once again in New York.

Having first won their first Grand Slam there in 2023, to now capture a second title in 2025 is an amazing achievement. We couldn’t be prouder of the girls, their partnership, and the team behind them, including Dan who has been with them every step of the way:


“These women are incredible. To have witnessed firsthand what they have both been through, and to understand what it takes to win a Grand Slam, is truly inspiring. They produced two flawless performances in the semi-finals and finals to take the trophy, and I couldn’t be prouder of them and everyone around them. It takes a village over many years for an achievement like this.” – Dan Kiernan

Their journey through this year’s US Open was anything but straightforward. In their quarter-final, Gaby and Erin found themselves 0-6 down before fighting back to win, before powering past 2nd seeds Sara Errani & Jasmine Paolini in the semi-final.

They beat the top-ranked pair of Taylor Townsend & Katarina Siniakova 6-4, 6-4 in an entertaining final at Arthur Ashe Stadium to secure their 2nd title in 3 years at Flushing Meadows.

Inspiring the Next Generation

For us here at STA, moments like these mean more than just a trophy. They serve as inspiration to every player training at base, an example of what’s possible with the right attitude, work ethic, and commitment to improving day after day.

Gaby & Erin have both spent time at STA, training alongside our full-time players. Watching them win a Grand Slam shows our juniors and pros alike the level of dedication needed to compete at the very top of the game.

“If you see it, you can be it. Erin and Gaby are so relatable and have built a lovely connection with STA over the last couple of years. They really appreciate the support from everyone at STA and love this place. I hope this can inspire others and show that this is absolutely possible in this sport with the right dedication, commitment, and longevity.” – Dan Kiernan

Listen to Gaby & Erin reliving their run to the title

Gaby and Erin joined Dan on our podcast, Control the Controllables, for a very special US Open Review episode. Listeners get exclusive behind-the-scenes insights into their preparation, challenges, and what it takes to lift a Grand Slam trophy. Dan also looks at all of the drama from this year’s tournament with our fantastic panel.

Don’t miss this special episode! Listen here or watch here, and keep up to date on all things CTC Podcast via our socials @ctc.podcast.

Train at SotoTennis Academy

What makes this victory extra special is the energy it brings back to our base in Sotogrande. Success on the biggest stage has a way of lifting everyone – players, coaches, and the wider team alike.

If you’d like to experience that environment for yourself, we’d love to welcome you to SotoTennis Academy. 

👉 Learn more about training at SotoTennis Academy

Congratulations once again to Gaby Dabrowski, Erin Routliffe, and our Director Dan Kiernan on this historic US Open victory!

STA’s AO25 Highlights

Posted on: February 3, 2025 |

Congratulations to Gaby Dabrowski, Erin Routliffe, and Michael Venus on their brilliant performances at the Australian Open, with the support of our Academy Director, Dan Kiernan.

Both teams made it to the semi-finals of their respective events – Gaby and Erin in the women’s doubles, and Michael and Erin in the mixed – fantastic achievements at the first Grand Slam of 2025! 🇦🇺🎾

Dan also bumped into some familiar faces in Melbourne… it was fantastic to reunite with former STA coaches Mark Smout and Ollie Cores, and former full-time player Billy Harris, who were all thriving at the Happy Slam!

It was great to see such a strong Team Soto presence in Melbourne, and we’re excited for what’s to come this year.

Here are some behind-the-scenes of an exciting quarter-finals day in Melbourne. 🤩❤️

SotoTennis Academy Student Placements 25-26

Posted on: October 21, 2024 |

Kickstart Your Career with SotoTennis Academy’s 2025-2026 Student Placements!

It’s that time of year again—our student placement opportunities are live and waiting for you! Over the past seven years, SotoTennis Academy has welcomed university students from all over to join Team Soto for their placement year. It’s a unique chance to gain hands-on experience, become an integral part of our vibrant community, and soak up the beauty of southern Spain.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, we have four exciting placement roles available. Click the links below to explore each role, including position details, requirements, and how to apply:

Wondering what it’s like to be part of the Academy? Watch the video below for a glimpse into life at SotoTennis and hear from our placement students.

Don’t miss out! These placements are highly sought-after, so we encourage you to apply early. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via info@sototennis.com —we’d love to hear from you and help you take the next step in your career journey!

New STA Hub!

Posted on: July 24, 2024 |

We have some exciting news to share… our brand new STA Hub is ready!

Based in the recently renovated Plaza Blanca, we now have our very own performance gym, classroom, office space and merchandise store.

The space has been designed with the tennis athlete in mind, and will be our hub for athletic development at the academy.

Here our Strength & Conditioning Team have the space to deliver our Fitness Programme, including a range of sessions from strength training, conditioning and recovery.

We also look forward to running off-court sessions in our new classroom, and displaying our Team Soto stash on site!

We hope to see you down at our new Academy Hub soon.

Find us at Plaza Blanca below!

SotoTennis Academy, Local 40 Plaza Blanca, Sotogrande,

Av. de Paniagua, 11310 San Roque, Cádiz

Wimbledon 2024

Posted on: July 23, 2024 |

Wimbledon Finalists & New World No.1 Team!

We’d like to say a massive congratulations to Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe who powered through to the Wimbledon Women’s Doubles Final this year!

Supported by Gaby’s Coach and STA Director Dan Kiernan, along with Erin’s Coach Bruce Lipka, the girls have now become the highest ranked team in the world.

Following their Rothesay title, Eastbourne final and Wimbledon final appearances, Erin is now individually ranked No.1 and Gaby No.3!

What an inspiration to all our players training back here at STA. We’ve been lucky enough to meet both Gaby and Erin this year as they have joined us for training blocks here at the academy. We look forward to hopefully welcoming both back to base in Sotogrande soon.

Amazing work team. ❤️

Team Soto in SW19

Former Full Time Players Tom Linley and George Russell were also in action at Wimbledon, working as hitting partners for the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

Watch below to hear more about Tom’s incredible experience hitting with the top tennis players in the world. 🤯

Wimbledon 2024 Review with CTC Podcast

Want to hear Dan and our fantastic Grand Slam Podcast Panel review everything that went down at this year’s Championships?

We’re joined by very special guests, this year’s Men’s Doubles Champions Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten, along with Henry’s Coach, Calvin Betton, and CTC favourite Freddie Nielsen.

Our panel discusses:

  • Why have there been so many different winners of the Women’s Singles event?

  • Has Carlos Alcaraz ended Novak Djokovic’s reign over Men’s tennis?

  • Gaby and Erin reaching the Wimbledon final and becoming World No.1 pair.

Catch our latest pod here:

TennisAthlete: STA launches new Online S&C Programmes

Posted on: June 13, 2024 |

Introducing TennisAthlete

As a dedicated tennis player, you’ve invested significant time, effort, and resources into honing your skills and competing at your best. However, maximising this investment means sustaining peak performance year-round, on and off the court.

Enter TennisAthlete: your partner in elevating your game to new heights. We offer tailored programmes designed for players committed to enhancing their physical prowess, whether they’re seasoned athletes or newcomers recognising the importance of physical conditioning.

Understanding the dynamic nature of athletic development, our programmes evolve with you, adapting to different phases of your annual cycle and career trajectory.

From foundational training for ages 10-15, emphasising movement and basic strength, to specialised routines for players aged 15 and above, focusing on strength, power, and tournament readiness, our offerings cater to diverse needs.

  • For young athletes (Age 10-15), our programmes emphasise movement fundamentals and basic strength and speed development.

  • As players mature (Age 15+), we pivot towards comprehensive strength and power training, along with specialised programmes addressing tournament preparation and injury prevention. 

  • Even for adult players, our commitment remains unwavering, with targeted injury prevention, tournament preparation, and conditioning programmes tailored to suit every stage of your journey.

Elevate your game with TennisAthlete by SotoTennis Academy, where we’re dedicated to keeping you at the top of your game, every serve, every set, and every match.

Check out our first course, BulletProof Tennis, below!

Kiernan vs Cores 2024

Posted on: June 5, 2024 |

On the 31st May 2024 we hosted our annual STA Team Matchplay Event, and this year saw Team Kiernan take on a new side: Team Cores!

It was a fantastic day full of competitive spirit, court-side chants, teamwork, and some great performances for both teams. Enjoy some highlights in the video below!

Thank you to everyone who came along, and congratulations to Team Kiernan for taking the overall win. 🖤

Our First Live Podcast Show!

Posted on: May 3, 2024 |

We’re still buzzing from our first ever Live Podcast Show in London last month!

STA Director Dan Kiernan and the Control the Controllables Podcast team flew from Spain on April 19th to bring the show to a live audience, in person and online. It really was a fantastic night!

This was such an exciting event for us, and we feel very privileged to have been able to bring the passion behind our pod to so many. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

We’d also like to say a huge thank you to our fantastic panellists: Denmark Davis Cup Captain Freddie Nielsen, Tennis Agent John Morris, and former coach to Jack Draper and Jo Konta, Justin Sherring, for joining us in London and sharing their expert thoughts on what could be a complete game-changer for tennis: the ‘Elite/Premier Tour’.

You may have noticed some changes to the orginal line-up! WTA Doubles number 4 Gaby Dabrowski had to cancel last minute through injury which has forced her to miss the clay season, and ATP Coach Calvin Betton couldn’t leave his players who made the final of the ATP 250 in Bucharest.

A true test of “control the controllables”, Dan’s journey to London was spent on the phone finding a replacement! A special thanks must go to Justin, our ‘knight in shining armour,’ for coming to join the panel with just 24 hours notice, and he did not disappoint!

Our final thanks goes to the team at Podcasts Live, who provided a great venue and guidance on the night, and showed faith in CTC by making us their first ever live event.

Keep an eye on our social media for photos and more clips from the night!

For those of you who couldn’t make the live show, it’s been a few weeks since we’ve released an episode. But fear not, we have one of our favourite ever guests coming back onto the show!

Valorie Kondos Field is one of the world’s most celebrated gymnastics coaches. Now retired, she speaks to us about the art of coaching, and like her first episode, it’s packed full of learnings.

Watch out for her new episode in the next few days!

CTC Podcast Live Show April 2024

Posted on: April 11, 2024 |

We’re so excited to announce that Control the Controllables is hosting it’s first ever Live Show!

On Friday the 19th April we’re coming to The Gallery in Tileyard Studios in London, where Dan will be joined by special guests to discuss one of the hottest topics in tennis right now: Is the New ‘Elite Tour’ Good for Tennis?

This is the Grand Slams’ proposed takeover of the top level of the tour, inviting the top 96 male and female players in the world to compete on a reduced schedule. This ‘Elite Tour’ would comprise of the four Grand Slams and another 15 Masters Series tournaments in order to give the worlds top players more rest time, and in turn a higher quality of tennis.

It has, however, been criticized as a corporate money grab by some, and an attempt to create ‘tennis elitism’ by others.

Join us live in London on April 19th to hear our panellists debate whether this will in fact be good for the sport, and what it means for those of us who work in the tennis industry.

We’ll also discuss other topics surrounding the future of our sport, including Saudi Arabian influence in tennis, proposed changes to doubles by the ATP and WTA, whether disruption is inevitable in tennis, and so much more! 

You’ll also have the chance to ask your questions to Dan and the panel.

Our panellists for the night will be:

JOHN MORRIS

John is one of tennis’ super agents, finding himself right at the heart of the ‘Elite Tour’ discussions as he represents current Men’s World Number 5 Andrey Rublev and Women’s World Number 76 Elina Svitolina. John is also the former agent of some of the game’s biggest names, including Nick Kyrgios and Emma Raducanu. John also appeared in Episode 88 of Control the Controllables, discussing his insights and experiences on the tour.

GABY DABROWSKI

Gaby is one of the best Women’s Doubles players in the world, and is right at the top of her game having won both the US Open and the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023. She is currently a WTA Player Representative, giving her behind-the-scenes access to all of the discussions taking place in the halls of tennis. Gaby appeared in our 2023 US Open Doubles Champions episode alongside her partner Erin Routliffe, and has also featured in our most recent Grand Slam Preview and Review episodes. Gaby is currently being coached by CTC Host Dan Kiernan!

FREDDIE NIELSEN

Freddie is a tennis legend, winning the Wimbledon 2012 Men’s Doubles title alongside home favourite Jonny Marray, before taking up the mantle as Denmark’s Davis Cup captain. Freddie is an expert on the inner workings of tennis both at elite and at grassroots level, therefore is perfectly placed to explain how an ‘Elite Tour’ would disrupt the ecosystem of our sport. As a regular on CTC’s Grand Slam Preview and Review episodes, Freddie is a very recognizable face for regular listeners of our podcast.

CALVIN BETTON

Calvin is a coach on the ATP Doubles tour, and is the current coach of top 100 British doubles talent Henry Patten. Any regular listeners of CTC will know that Calvin always brings strong opinions to the show, and those who listened to our 2024 Australian Open Review will have heard a sneak preview of Calvin’s thoughts about the ‘Elite Tour’! Calvin is strongly opinionated, which promises to make this a blockbuster evening…

It’s going to be a fantastic evening! You can pick up your tickets for the Live Show below:

If you can’t make it to London, don’t worry! You can still join us by purchasing an online ticket and ask all of your questions as if you were in the room.

See you in London soon!

Control The Controllables Podcast Team

SotoTennis Academy 2024-2025 Placement Opportunities

Posted on: December 4, 2023 |

Calling all University Students!

Did you know SotoTennis Academy offers Student Placement Opportunities every year?

Starting in September 2024, we’re offering 4 Student Placement Roles in our Marketing, Communications, S&C and Podcast teams!

Going on a placement year is the perfect opportunity for university students to gain invaluable work experience before graduating.

Our goal at STA is to offer students the chance to not only work and connect with athletes and experts from different backgrounds and nationalities, but also become an integral part of our team.

In October 2022, STA also had the pleasure of accepting the Award for the University of Bath’s Humanities & Social Sciences International Placement of the Year.

If you want to know more about our current opportunities, including the job roles, requirements, remuneration and application details, please click the links below!

Equally, if you know somebody that might be interested in any of the opportunities, please do spread the word by sharing this blog.

Applications close in April 2024, but we strongly encourage earlier applications, as we might offer the roles to exceptional students before then. 

We look forward to welcoming some excellent Placement Students in September 2024!

STA Director Dan Kiernan guides players to two US Open Trophies!

Posted on: September 14, 2023 |

Grand Slam Champions

It’s been an incredible fortnight at the US Open for STA Director Dan Kiernan, as his players won not one, but two doubles titles!

First Denmark’s Harri Heliövaara and Anna Danilina from Kazakhstan became Grand Slam Champions for the first time, winning the 2023 Mixed Doubles title without dropping a set.

Harri and Anna only met for the first time at the sign-in desk the previous week, before beating top seeds Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek 6-3 6-4 in the final. 

Dan has been working with Hari Heliovaara and former STA Full Time player Lloyd Glasspool since January.

"Good things happen to good people. Harri and Anna deserve this for their ability to stay courageous in the key moments throughout their 5 matches beating some fantastic pairs. They performed to such a high level against the current world no. 1 doubles players in both the Men's (Krajicek) and Women's (Pegula) games to win the trophy. It is a real pleasure to be a small part of this amazing achievement and I have no doubt this experience will have a positive effect on their Men's/Women's doubles careers."
Dan Kiernan
STA Academy Director

Women's Doubles Triumph

Harri and Anna were followed by Canada’s Gaby Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe from New Zealand, who triumphed in the Women’s Doubles Final.

Gaby is a regular on Dan’s podcast Control the Controllables as a panelist who previews and reviews the Grand Slams. Dan and Gaby started working together at the US Open, and what a start they’ve made!

Gaby and Erin swept past No.12 seeds Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva 7-6(9), 6-3 in Sunday’s final. It’s Gaby’s 14th career doubles title, and Erin’s 4th, and their first together after only their fourth tournament as a team.

"This victory is a true example of sticking together unconditionally - something we don't do enough in 2023! The girls stayed in 'their moment' regardless of the situation, and their commitment to this has reaped the biggest of awards. I am very proud of them both, and this is only the start of what their partnership can achieve together."
Dan Kiernan
STA Academy Director

Team Soto Family in NYC

It was so special having some of our Team Soto family there to support Dan and the players court-side at Flushing Meadows.

A massive congratulations to all 4 US Open Champions on an unforgettable Grand Slam! And of course to Dan for guiding both pairs to victory!

Victory in Italy

Congratulations must also to Team Soto Pro Tamara Zidanšek on an amazing run at the Open Delle Puglie tournament in Bari last week – WTA 125 Winner! We are very proud of Tamara and her team, including STA Performance Coach Mike Digby.

Good luck to Tamara competing this week at her home event, WTA Zavarovalnoca Sava Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Let’s go Tamara!

Magic Moments

What an inspiration these magic moments have been to our Full Time Players here at SotoTennis Academy, who are all just starting the new year back at base.

You can hear Dan and Gaby chat all about the final Grand Slam of the year in the US Open 2023 Review episode of Control the Controllables, released later today!