Czech Tennis Players' Matching Black Dresses Spark Wave of Jokes Online

At the official reception ahead of the Billy Jean King Cup quarterfinal in China, the Czech tennis team unexpectedly found itself in the spotlight — not for its play, but for its outfits. Kateřina Siniaková, Marie Bouzková, Karolína Muchová and Linda Nosková all showed up to the event in nearly identical long black dresses with black belts, while team captain Barbora Strýcová opted for a short white look instead.

The matching outfits didn't go unnoticed by fans on social media. A fan account dedicated to Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala posted: "Czech team at the Billy Jean King Cup!!! Who dressed them? Siniaková, Beilek, Bouzková, Muchová and Nosková — all in the same dress. What did you do to my girls," accompanied by crying emojis. Another account devoted to supporting Karolína Muchová joked even more bluntly: "Who died?" — likening the players' outfits to mourning attire for a funeral.

Their rivals also chose black

Interestingly, the British team, whom the Czechs face on Tuesday in the quarterfinal, also showed up to the official dinner in black — though each British player wore a different style of dress, avoiding the "uniform" effect.

Despite the online mockery, the choice of outfits is unlikely to have any bearing on the match itself. The Czech team is considered the favourite heading into the quarterfinal, boasting this year's Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková, Wimbledon finalist Karolína Muchová, as well as world No. 1 doubles player and fresh US Open doubles champion Kateřina Siniaková.

Both teams determined to win

"We're strong, and our ambitions are as high as they get. We can be reasonably confident in ourselves and aim for the very top," Muchová said before departing. Nosková, who beat her in the Wimbledon final, was even more emphatic: "We're going there to win."

British captain Anne Keothavong also expressed respect for the Czech squad: "We're playing against a team that includes a Wimbledon champion and a Wimbledon finalist. And the list goes on — these players have almost nothing left to prove. But I believe in my team, and I believe we can rise to this challenge."

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz