Czech women win Billie Jean King Cup for the sixth time in a decade

The Czech women's tennis team has won the Billie Jean King Cup final (formerly the Fed Cup) in Shenzhen, China, cruising to a convincing victory over their opponents. It was the first major trophy for the team under new captain Barbora Strýcová, and the road to the title actually began back in the spring, with saved match points in qualifying.

Six titles and a difficult decade

Back in the 2010s, the Czechs already won the team trophy six times — in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. But the competition format later changed: home-and-away ties were replaced by a season-ending finals event for eight teams. That format never suited the Czech team, and their results in recent years were far more modest than during that golden decade.

A new captain, and saved match points

Something changed once Barbora Strýcová took over as captain — she had been part of the team for all six historic triumphs as a player. She wanted today's generation of players to experience the same feelings she once did. Her first season in charge could easily have gone the other way: the team risked being relegated to the play-offs. Everything turned on a decisive qualifying tie in Biel, Switzerland, where Linda Nosková saved three match points against Belinda Bencic. The Swiss players were left in tears afterwards, while the Czechs, buoyed by the escape, rode the momentum all the way to the finals.

A commanding win in Shenzhen

When the captain asked her best players if they were available, not one of them said no. Everyone wanted to be part of a team that went on to dominate in Shenzhen — largely thanks to two Wimbledon finalists, Nosková and Karolína Muchová. Besides them, only Marie Bouzková took to the court, in the opening singles rubber against Great Britain. Sára Bejlek and world number one doubles player Kateřina Siniaková ended up waiting on the bench with the trophy — the decisive matches simply were not needed.

Rivals who admitted they were outsiders

Every team that arrived in Shenzhen already knew it was the underdog against the Czechs. US Open champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan skipped the Cup final altogether, and the remaining rivals were simply not at the Czechs' level. Spain's Jessica Bouzas said she admired Muchová and considered it an honour just to share a court with her. Respect for the Czech team was evident on all sides — for their wins, and for their composure in tight situations.

A changing of the generations

The win in China gave extra weight to the Billie Jean King Cup, with the Czechs fielding their strongest possible line-up — the comparison to a tennis "dream team" hardly felt exaggerated. Moments after the final, an emotional Strýcová was thinking mainly about the celebrations ahead, but added that the triumph in China could mark the start of a new era for Czech tennis — one that may no longer include thirty-somethings Muchová, Siniaková and Barbora Krejčíková. Team leader Nosková is only 21, while 20-year-olds Bejlek and Nikola Bartůňková have already shown they can perform at international level, as has Tereza Valentová, a year younger still. Eighteen-year-olds Laura Samson and Vendula Valdmannová are also expected to break into the world's top 100 soon. "It's incredible how our generations of players just keep following one another," Strýcová said.

Source: sport.cz