Captain Strýcová Fought Back Tears During the Anthem, Then Joined the Legends of Czech Tennis

Forty-year-old Barbora Strýcová carried her emotions from the court to the Czech team's captain's bench: before the Billie Jean King Cup final against Ukraine in Shenzhen, China, she could barely hold back tears during the anthem, and after Linda Nosková's winning match point, the outburst of joy turned into real tears. Anyone who knows Strýcová wasn't surprised.

"Something Incredible"

"Playing for the Czech Republic has always meant an enormous amount to me, and now I've managed to do it as captain too — it's something incredible," Strýcová said in an interview for Czech Television, visibly fighting back tears. The tension and stress of an entire week in China finally turned into euphoric victory.

Strýcová makes no secret of having drawn heavily on Petr Pála for her captaincy, the man who led the Czech women to six team titles between 2011 and 2018. She herself played a major part in most of those wins as a player.

A Path Through the Greatest Finals

In 2011 Strýcová, together with Iveta Benešová, won the decisive doubles rubber in the semifinal in Belgium, and three years later, alongside Andrea Hlaváčková, broke Spain's resistance in the deciding doubles of the opening round in Seville. In 2015 she experienced the thrill of victory in a packed O2 Arena after winning the doubles with Karolína Plíšková against Russia.

And in the final a decade ago in Strasbourg against France, Strýcová produced her greatest team masterpiece: with the tie at 1-2, she first leveled the score in singles against Cornet, then immediately celebrated victory in doubles with Plíšková. She also ended her national-team career with a win — in the final against the United States at the O2 Arena.

"2018 was pivotal for me because it was my last match before ending my national-team career. And I even managed to beat Kenin. I remember it like it was yesterday: as we walked out for the lineup, they played the anthem, and I was crying even though I still had to go out and win the match — it was incredibly emotional. But those memories are among the most beautiful I have," Strýcová recalled.

Ukraine Beaten Without Dropping a Tie

What happened in Shenzhen will clearly rank very high on the captain's personal list. "I'm truly incredibly happy about what we experienced here. The whole team believed enormously, and I'm happy," Strýcová said. In front of the cameras she stayed composed, but she knew the Czech team's strength was formidable: Wimbledon champion Nosková and world No. 8 Muchová at the second spot. Everything went exactly as the bookmakers predicted — three 2-0 wins, with Billie Jean King on hand to present the Czechs with their championship jackets.

"I couldn't have wished for a better start on the bench. I'm looking forward to next year. But right now, we need to celebrate properly," smiled the happy captain, whose name is now mentioned alongside the greatest icons of women's tennis.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz