Two years ago at the BNP Paribas Open Ena Shibahara and Asia Muhammad played for the first time together and reached the doubles final, losing a hotly-contested final to China’s Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan, 7-5, 7-6(4).
Enthused by their performance and on-court chemistry, the duo with Southern California roots would play much of the 2022 season together, reaching the Round of 16 at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Their run at the 2022 US Open would be their last, however, as the pair went their separate ways. Enter 2024, and a new beginning: after more than a year and a half apart, Shibahara and Muhammad are putting the band back together this year at Indian Wells.
“There wasn’t really like a reason why we split,” Shibahara said on Tuesday, after pairing with Muhammad to topple No.5-seeded Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. “I started playing with my other partner Shuko [Aoyama], and then we did really well at Aussie Open [in 2023] so we just kind of stuck together for the rest of 2023 and then this year we kind of broke up because I started focusing on singles.”
A spontaneous decision to try to tackle some unfinished business spurred the top-flight reunion, says former World No.4 Shibahara.
“I hit up Asia for this tournament because we did so well here and I had really good confidence that we were going to do well again, and that’s why I really wanted to link back up with her for this tournament,” she said.
Muhammad, a Long Beach, California native who currently resides in Las Vegas, isn’t sure what the future holds for the duo, but she’s happy to be back on court with Shibahara, who spent her youth in Southern California and attended UCLA.
“Such a tease, I only get her for this tournament,” she joked, when Shibahara said that she won’t be at the Miami Open this year.
Perhaps the pair will reunite again for the majors in 2024, but for now Shibahara and Muhammad are firmly focused on gunning for the Baccarat crystal at Indian Wells.
“Two years ago in the finals here there were some regrets, especially from me, because we were right there,” Shibahara said. “I think that’s our biggest thing this week is to have no regrets, to just go for it. If we lose, we lose – but at the end of the day we won’t have any regrets and we’ll be happy with the way we play.”
Muhammad says that the pair are a better version of their previous selves in 2024. She cites improved communication as the reason.
“I feel like we’re just communicating a lot better, which is very important for a doubles team, obviously,” the No.61-ranked American said. “However I feel on court I’m just voicing that to Ena in the same way, we’re both really tough on ourselves, individually, so it’s kind of good when I can tell her ‘Hey you’re doing great.’ It’s the same for me when I get down on myself.”
Muhammad and Shibahara have already taken out two of the top five-seeded pairings in Tennis Paradise. They toppled second-seeded Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe in the second-round, 7-6(3), 2-6, 12-10, before powering past Gauff and Pegula on Stadium 1 on Tuesday.
Next up for the duo? Third-seeded Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova, who took out Taylor Townsend and Beatriz Haddad Maia on Tuesday.
Shibahara and Muhammad like their chances and feel like they are on home turf every time they step on court at the BNP Paribas Open.
“I do feel like this is kind of my home tournament and I know Ena feels that way as well,” Muhammad said.
“I love it. I’m SoCal for sure,” adds Shibahara with a smile.
