Barbora Strycova has returned from retirement in Madrid

At the opening of the WTA 1000 in Madrid, Barbora Strykova He was reunited with the high-performance competition he last experienced two years ago when he decided to end his career. Upon her return, the Czech fell in the first round to Elisabetta Cocciaretto (No. 50 in the WTA rankings) 6-3, 7-6(5) after two hours of play. In doubles, she will star in a stellar comeback with partner Hsieh Su-wei.

She was born in the Czech Republic 37 years ago, ranked 16th in the world in 2017, reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2019, and returned to activity two years after announcing her retirement from professional tennis. “I never planned to end my career in the midst of a pandemic. Either way, I’m so excited for the next chapter in my life as a mom. That doesn’t mean I’ve accepted not playing the last game of my career in front of a crowd. Whenever possible, I’m going to play that last game against you, and say goodbye.” correctly “.It was launched at that time Strycova.

the The last time he hit the court was at the 2021 Australian Open as the No. 38 ranking loser in the premiere against Svetlana Kuznetsova. at that moment, The top of the women’s tour consisted of Ash Barty, Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin. Then, Iga Swiatek is currently ranked No. 1 in the ranking, at No. 17 in the global list.

Although down singles On the dust of the Spanish bricks, the week will remain special for her because she will meet again on the court with the partner with whom she won the Grand Slam title (Wimbledon 2019): Hsieh Su Wei. The former doubles top seed will join forces again in Madrid, the place where he won the title four years ago. In the opening round they will meet Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Latesha.

I’ve lived the entire 1000 Master Madrid on ESPN on Star+.