Roland-Garros, Doubles, Novotna: Everything you always wanted to know about Barbora Krejcikova (but never had time to find out) – updated with Siniakova split

Barbora Krejcikova is a Czech tennis player who won her first Grand Slam singles title at Roland-Garros in 2021. Here are the answers to some common questions about her

Barbora Krejcikova, Roland-Garros Barbora Krejcikova at Roland-Garros in 2021 (Panoramic)

Who is Barbora Krejcikova?

Barbora Krejcikova is a tennis player who won the women’s singles title at Roland-Garros in 2021. She is 27 years old and was born on December 18, 1995 in Brno, Czech Republic. She has also won seven women’s doubles Grand Slams and three mixed doubles Majors.

How many Grand Slams has Krejcikova won?

Krejcikova has one Grand Slam singles title to her name – the 2021 Roland-Garros title. She has also won seven women’s doubles Grand Slams and three mixed doubles Majors.

Have Krejcikova and Siniakova split?

Krejcikova and Siniakova will not play together in 2024 – the pair announced during the 2023 WTA Finals. The pair first teamed up as teens on the junior circuit, winning three junior Slam titles in 2012 before becoming a dominant force on the WTA Tour – winning seven women’s Grand Slam doubles titles, the Olympic gold and the WTA Finals. Neither side has spoken about the reasons behind the split yet.

What did Barbora Krejcikova do in Dubai in 2023?

In February, 2023, Barbora Krejcikova beat the world’s No 3, No 2 and then, in the final, the No 1 – Iga Swiatek – to win the title in Dubai. She’s just the fifth woman to do that in WTA Tour history.

How many titles has Barbora Krejcikova won?

Krejcikova has won seven WTA singles titles, the biggest of them coming at the French Open in 2021. Her other titles include Strasbourg and Prague in 2021, Tallinn and Ostrava in 2022 and Dubai and San Diego in 2023.

What did Barbora Krejcikova accomplish at Roland-Garros in 2021?

Krejcikova won her first career Grand Slam singles title at Roland-Garros 2021. Her run to the final included wins over fifth seed Elina Svitolina, 17th seed Maria Sakkari, 24th seed Coco Gauff and 32nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. She also defeated former US Open champion Sloane Stephens on the way to the final, where she beat Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

What is Krejcikova’s highest ranking?

Though 2021 was Krejcikova’s best year, she reached a career-high ranking of No 2 on February 28, 2022. You can find her updated ranking and ranking history on her WTA profile page.

After beating Tsvetana Pironkova in the third round at Roland-Garros in 2020, Krejcikova – then ranked outside the Top 100 — said she had accepted she might never reach the top of the singles game. She said at a press conference, “I’ve been playing for so long. I’ve been trying to break to the top 100 for so long. Every time I was really close, I couldn’t really make it. So this time we got the stop, we got the break. I think I was 116 or something. Then I was like, Okay, now is the time to break it. I was a little nervous about it because I really wanted to make it. Coming to this tournament I tried to change my mind with this. I was just like, Okay, maybe I will never make it. Maybe I’m just going to be just a doubles player, okay? It’s fine.”

How tall is Barbora Krejcikova?

The WTA site gives her height as 5ft 10in, or 1.78m.

Who is Krejcikova‘s coach?

As of November 2023, Krejcikova does not have a coach listed on the WTA Tour website. She was earlier working with Petr Kovacka, but was famously mentored by the late Jana Novotna – a former Wimbledon champion and a 16-time Slam doubles winner – before her ill health prevented her from working.

How did Barbora Krejcikova meet Jana Novotna?

Then 18 years old, Krejcikova read that Novotna lived in a village not far from her hometown Brno, and went to her house to ask for her advice on becoming a top pro. The pair had a hit together, and Novotna said she would like to become her coach.

Krejcikova dedicated her 2020 Roland-Garros third-round win to Novotna, saying, “I have to say that today was really special also because my former coach, Jana Novotna, who passed away, she would have a birthday today. It was very emotional for me; very special that I could win this match today. I would like to also dedicate it to her because she would be really happy for my result.”

After reaching the Roland-Garros final, the Czech said she felt her former coach was looking after her.

Isn’t Barbora Krejcikova a doubles player?

The Czech is an elite doubles player and a former world No 1 in women’s doubles, partnering with countrywoman Katerina Siniakova to great success, including seven Grand Slam titles – Australian Open in 2022 and 2023, French Open in 2018 and 2021, Wimbledon in 2018 and 2022, and the US Open in 2022.

She has also won three Australian Open titles in mixed doubles, two with Rajeev Ram (2019 and 2021) and one with Nikola Mektic (2020).

Did she play juniors?

She enjoyed a great partnership with Siniakova in the juniors, as well. The pair won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in 2013. At that point Krejcikova was ranked No 3 among the world juniors.

How is Krejcikova dealing with her singles success?

Krejcikova spoke after her French Open fourth-round win over Sloane Stephens about dealing with crippling, sickening nerves before going on to court. She said, “I just woke up and I just felt really, I don’t know, I just felt really bad. I don’t know why. I just felt really stressed. I don’t know why or what for. Half an hour before the match, I didn’t even want to step on the court, because I just really felt really bad, and I had to, like, lock myself in the physio room and I had to talk to my psychologist. I actually – I was actually crying. I don’t know. I just felt really, really bad, and I don’t know why. It just happened.

“We talk about it a lot, and, you know, she told me like, you know, this is something — you know, if you can overcome this, what you feel right now, it’s going to be a huge win, and it doesn’t matter if you’re gonna win on the court or lose on the court, because it’s going to be a personal win.

“I just went there on the court, and I know that it didn’t look like it, but I just felt really, really bad. You know, I was just happy that I started well. I think after the first point, you know, things got a little bit better, a little bit easier. Then I broke her. I just felt like, yeah, you know, I can play, I can actually play her (smiling).”

After her semi-final win, former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport said Krejcikova “could be the strongest, mentally toughest player she ever witnessed”, to which the Czech responded: “I wasn’t thinking about it like this. I mean, it was really tough match. Maria, she’s really good. She’s really good player. I know that she’s a very good fighter. She was playing really well today. I actually think we both deserve to win because we play really, really great match. But only one can win. I’m really happy that it’s me, that I’m going to have another chance to play another match. I think the match was really up and down. I just told myself, Just fight, fight, fight until the last point. I’m happy that I was really fighting.”

What does Barbora Krejcikova do outside tennis?

Her social media accounts show that she’s a proud aunt of two children. She also loves animals and travel, enjoys embroidery – and she’s a massive fan of ice cream.

How much prize money has she won in her career?

As of November 16, 2023, Krejcikova has won $11,052,653 in career prize money. You can find her latest prize money stats on her WTA Tour profile page.

Is Barbora Krejcikova on social media?

Yes. Krejcikova has over 88,600 followers on Instagram, more than 21,500 followers on Twitter, and over 36,000 fans on Facebook.

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