Three Czech teenagers at the US Open confirmed that domestic tennis has yet another talented generation of up-and-coming players. Well-known expert and Swedish legend Mats Wilander admitted to Aktuálně.cz that the strength of Czech women’s tennis does not surprise him at all.
Sixteen-year-old Sára Bejlek and two seventeen-year-olds Lindy Fruhvirtová and Nosková made it to the main stage of the last Grand Slam of the season. They symbolically confirmed that the year 2022 was very much about the rise of Czech talents in the world of tennis.
“I admit that I didn’t follow their matches closely enough to tell you something specific about each of them, but overall I have a keen interest in Czech tennis, I’ve been following it for many years and this is no surprise to me,” said Aktuálně.cz, the current TV expert of Eurosport Mats Wilander.
The former world number one reigned mainly in the eighties, so she met Ivan Lendl, Martina Navrátilová, Hana Mandlíková or Helena Suková on the circuit.
“It was always amazing to see how wide a field of tennis players, and especially female tennis players, you have. When so many talents play in one country, it means that they have been in great competition for at least ten years, and youth tournaments already have a high level of competition in the Czech Republic,” he describes Swedish tennis player.
He himself wonders where such a player base comes from in a country of ten and a half million.
“You have a strong tradition, women’s tennis in the Czech Republic generates three to four strong players in each generation who make it far, and at least one always becomes a big star. It is no coincidence that Czech women succeed so easily in coming from juniors to adults,” she thinks you are
According to him, it’s not about individuals, but about quality facilities and a whole range of great coaches that the country has.
For example, while the Americans are famous for aggressive tennis from the baseline and the Spanish usually rule the clay, Wilander also noticed the Czech specialty.
“They are versatile, they can play great on all surfaces, they understand tennis very well and they are great not only in singles, but also in doubles. I am not worried at all about the future of the new girls,” added the 58-year-old Swede.
