Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková: The End of a Successful Partnership
It was clear that it would be a spicy duel. Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková formed the most successful pair in Czech tennis history, being the fifth most successful duo in the history of the Open Era worldwide. They won seven Grand Slam tournaments together, as well as the Olympic Games.
However, before the current season, they surprisingly decided to part ways. Siniaková was the initiator, desiring a change. „We have agreed not to continue. It was my initiative. I wanted a small change. We have reached an agreement in a good atmosphere, and we certainly do not rule out the possibility of returning to each other. I think a break can benefit us,“ Siniaková said at the time.
„It was surprising for me, but not really. We talked a lot about it, and we discussed it with Kačka. We are parting on good terms. I respect her decision. We will see what awaits us next year. It’s not the end of everything,“ Krejčíková said.
Both of them did not rule out the possibility of reuniting in the future, especially in the summer for the defense of their gold medals at the Olympic Games in Paris.
However, after their quarterfinal clash at the Australian Open, doubts about the future renaissance of the successful pair flooded social media and various tennis forums. This was mainly due to the cold handshake between the Czech players.
According to some, it is a clear signal that the breakup was final, while others believe that it was only due to intense emotions after an intense match.
„It was a really tough match. I would say it’s not very pleasant to play against each other after such a long time. But that’s tennis, and I’m very happy that we won, stuck together, and supported each other. That’s why we succeeded,“ Siniaková said at the press conference.
Krejčíková and Siegemund had a great start in the decisive third set, leading 4-1. However, Siniaková and Hunterová managed a perfect comeback, winning all five closing games and advancing to the semifinals with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The partnership between Krejčíková and Siniaková began in the junior category. They started playing together in the adult category in 2018. They won the Australian Open twice (2022, 2023), Roland Garros twice (2018, 2021), Wimbledon twice (2018, 2022), and completed their career Grand Slam at the US Open two years ago. In 2021, they also won the WTA Finals. They were voted the best pair of the season by the WTA three times and won a total of 16 doubles titles on the elite circuit. They last lifted the winning trophy in singles in San Diego.
