Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková, the most successful doubles pair of the current generation, have caught the attention of the tennis world since their somewhat cold handshake at the net after their first meeting in the Australian Open round of 16. In the summer, they will defend their gold medals from Tokyo, and the future of the most successful doubles duo in Czech tennis history is still uncertain.
Krejčíková was approached by the local English-language newspaper The National in Abu Dhabi. The Czech tennis player reiterated in the interview that the split at the end of last season was initiated by Siniaková and came as a surprise to her. „Last year, when we broke up and she told me she wanted to go in a different direction, we mentioned the Olympics. But it was her decision, not mine. I would really like to play with her at the Olympics,“ said the winner of the French Open 2021 singles title, indicating that she has not yet received an answer.
According to the 28-year-old tennis player, the ball is now in Siniaková’s court, with whom she has won seven Grand Slam tournaments in addition to the Olympic Games. „It’s up to her to come to me and talk about it. So I know how she feels. I am very open to reconciliation and joint participation in the Olympics. But now it’s up to her,“ explained the tennis player from Ivančice.
During the Australian Open, Siniaková did not reject the possibility of resuming their partnership. „We didn’t break up on bad terms, and it may happen that we will get back together. We want another medal from the Olympics, and if we qualify and agree on cooperation, I don’t see a problem with that. I still think we are the best doubles pair,“ said Siniaková for Tennis World.
The Olympic Games will take place this summer at the Roland Garros venue, where Krejčíková experienced the greatest successes of her career. In 2021, she achieved an impressive double on the Parisian clay, winning both singles and doubles titles, a feat that had not been accomplished in a single year since Mary Pierce in 2000.
„I really want to qualify for the Olympics, I would love to be part of the team. I would like to play singles, doubles, and if possible, mixed doubles as well. On the other hand, the Czech Republic is a very strong tennis nation, especially among women. It will be a long journey,“ noted Krejčíková.
Each country can send four players to the singles event and two pairs to the doubles event, as well as one pair for mixed doubles. Currently, Krejčíková is ranked 12th in the world in singles, behind Markéta Vondroušová and Karolína Muchová. In doubles, Krejčíková holds the 24th position and is the second-highest-ranked Czech player behind Siniaková, who is two places higher.
Krejčíková and Siniaková are the most successful pair in Czech tennis history and the fifth most successful duo of the Open era. Their partnership began in the junior category, and they started playing together as adults in 2018. They have won two Australian Open titles (2022, 2023), two Roland Garros titles (2018, 2021), two Wimbledon titles (2018, 2022), and completed their career Grand Slam at the US Open in 2019. In 2021, they also won the WTA Finals.
In the final of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in the same year, they defeated the Swiss duo of Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic. They have been named the WTA Doubles Team of the Year three times and have won 16 doubles titles on the elite circuit together. Most recently, they lifted the winner’s trophy in San Diego.
