THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, London — Like so much in women's tennis, it all goes back to Martina Navratilova.
She was the first great female champion of the modern era from what is now called the Czech Republic. She won on the Wimbledon grass like no one has, before or since. Nine singles **** les, plus seven more in women's doubles and four in mixed doubles.
Navratilova defected from Czechoslovakia to the U.S. in 1975, but as she became the best player the sport had ever seen, the little girls in her birth country kept watching.
Navratilova spawned Hana Mandlíková, who led to Helena Suková and Jana Novotná and Petra Kvitová and Karolína Plíšková and Barbora Krejčíková and Markéta Vondroušová and Kateřina Siniaková, the world's top doubles player these days, who is also now on the cusp of the top 30 in singles. Suková was No. 1 in doubles and No. 4 in singles.
All of them won Grand Slam **** les or became the world No. 1. All except Plíšková, Suková and Siniaková won the Wimbledon singles **** le. Plíšková made the singles final in 2021; Siniaková has three Wimbledon women's doubles **** les, two with Krejčíková; Suková won the women's doubles four times and the mixed three times.
She was the first great female champion of the modern era from what is now called the Czech Republic. She won on the Wimbledon grass like no one has, before or since. Nine singles **** les, plus seven more in women's doubles and four in mixed doubles.
Navratilova defected from Czechoslovakia to the U.S. in 1975, but as she became the best player the sport had ever seen, the little girls in her birth country kept watching.
Navratilova spawned Hana Mandlíková, who led to Helena Suková and Jana Novotná and Petra Kvitová and Karolína Plíšková and Barbora Krejčíková and Markéta Vondroušová and Kateřina Siniaková, the world's top doubles player these days, who is also now on the cusp of the top 30 in singles. Suková was No. 1 in doubles and No. 4 in singles.
All of them won Grand Slam **** les or became the world No. 1. All except Plíšková, Suková and Siniaková won the Wimbledon singles **** le. Plíšková made the singles final in 2021; Siniaková has three Wimbledon women's doubles **** les, two with Krejčíková; Suková won the women's doubles four times and the mixed three times.
2 months ago
