Lone Ranger Demi Schuurs finds steady partner in Desirae Krawczyk, plots big finish in Fort Worth

WATCH: Schuurs and Krawczyk scored a big win over Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula at the WTA Finals on Wednesday.

FORT WORTH, Texas—Demi Schuurs is quickly making a case for herself as one of her generation’s best individual doubles players, and while the category sounds paradoxical, it bears statistical weight: the flying Dutchwoman is at the WTA Finals for the fourth time in as many years with her fourth different partner.

“It’s never easy because you’re never quite sure whether you’ll click or how it goes with injuries,” she told me before the tournament began, “and of course, you have to play with the same partner a lot to make the Finals together.”

After bursting onto the doubles scene with Elise Mertens in 2018, Schuurs and her all-court game continued to prove a unique versatility as she returned to the next two WTA Finals with Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, respectively. Her most recent berth came with Desirae Krawczyk, who fell two matches short of a mixed doubles Grand Slam in 2021, but proved the toughest as injuries kept Schuurs off court for the first six weeks of the season.

“I think that makes us even more proud to be here,” Schuurs said. “We started in Indian Wells because I wasn’t sure with whom I was going to play yet. Desirae had no partner and was changing partners every week, so we decided we’d try to play and see what happens.

“And at the end it was pretty close with No. 7-9 in the Race. We played a lot of tournaments just to be sure to make it, and even then, it took until the last tournament in Mexico. It was very stressful.”

A strong summer saw the two reach the quarterfinals or better at five straight tournaments—including the US Open—encouraging Schuurs and Krawczyk to continue their partnership into 2023.

“I think overall, our connection is very good on and off the court. We have a good balance. We go out for dinners, and we shop together. But we also have time for ourselves, with our friends, or just alone.

“We have fun together, and the dynamic is good. On court, it’s nice to have a lefty, which makes things difficult for opponents. She has a good serve, I’m good on the return. We all have our strengths, but overall, the formation of her at the baseline and me at the net makes it a tough one.”

That toughness helped them score a first win of the week over Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, rallying from a set down to edge the Americans in a match tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-0, 10-5 as a partisan crowd looked on.

“In general, I feel like people like doubles in the U.S. Sometimes people don’t know how to watch doubles because so many things are happening: you’re seeing four players instead of two, more communication on court. All of that is nice to see so it’s great for doubles to get that bit more attention.”

Even in a flurry of four players, Schuurs stands out for her unorthodox game and unique style, wearing men’s attire for matches and becoming a leading figure for LGBTQ+ representation at a time when civil rights remain under threat the world over.

I’m just very happy that I can make people happier, and you can only be happy when you're being yourself. It's harder to be happy or make others happy when you’re hiding who you are, so I just feel very honored that I can help people to feel better. Demi Schuurs

“I feel good that I can help people,” she said. “When I first gave some interviews about it, people started writing me to say that I’d helped them and to ask my advice on how I handled things when I was younger.

“I’m just very happy that I can make people happier, and you can only be happy when you're being yourself. It's harder to be happy or make others happy when you’re hiding who you are, so I just feel very honored that I can help people to feel better.”

Advocate as much as athlete, Schuurs will take a well-deserved vacation from both with a holiday vacation to Bali.

“It is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, and my girlfriend been there many times,” she beamed. “The last couple years, there was an earthquake, and then there was COVID. We’ll go for two weeks and spend some quality time. The last few months, especially, I’ve just been on the road non-stop.

“I have no idea what to expect. She knows everything to do there, so she planned and organized everything. Of course, I saw a little bit, but don’t ask me where we’re going. She’s the tour guide!”

On the court and off, Schuurs is indeed at her best with a partner.