Former top-ranked doubles player Barbora Strycova retires

Posted May 04, 2021 7:00 am

The Associated Press

PRAGUE (AP) - Barbora Strycova, a former top-ranked doubles player and Wimbledon singles semifinalist, announced her retirement on Tuesday.

'œUntil now, tennis was the only world I knew,'ť Strycova said in a statement. 'œI have always had enormous love for this amazing sport. Even though all the pain, tears, renunciation and sweat, all the great moment(s) and victories were worth it.'ť

The 35-year-old Czech player previously announced her pregnancy. She is due in September and doesn't plan to return after giving birth.

'œI never planned to end my career during a pandemic,'ť she said. 'œHowever, some moments in life just can't be planned and I am super excited for my next life role as a mom.'ť

Strycova won two WTA singles titles and 31 in doubles.

She was at her best at Wimbledon in 2019, when she won the women's doubles with Hsieh Su-wei to become No. 1 and reached the singles semifinals, losing to Serena Williams. Her career-high in singles was No. 16.

In 2016, she teamed up with Lucie Safarova to win the bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

___

More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE - In this Tuesday July 9, 2019 file photo, Czech Republic's Barbora Strycova celebrates winning a women's quarterfinal match against Britain's Johanna Konta on day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. Barbora Strycova, a former doubles World No. 1 and Wimbledon singles semifinalist announced her retirement on Tuesday May 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.