You won’t find out how good you really are in training. I held on well during the match, I am still competitive, says Strýcová

You’ve had successful tournaments in Madrid and Rome, the media are reporting a successful comeback by the Uncles. How do you feel?

Good. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. Not playing for almost three years and not participating in tournaments is a long time. It’s hard to assess how I’m doing just from training. I also felt good in training, but then going to a sharp match is always something completely different. So I was a little afraid of it.

But the first game in Madrid was amazing. I held my own, I was competitive and that was positive news. It was also nice to see that it wasn’t just me who was nervous, but also the opposing players. For example, when I played with Maryna Zanevska, it seemed that she was perhaps more nervous about “going to play with that mom” than I was. And I won this match.

It used to be just tennis. Now it’s Vincent first, tennis second. Does it play differently with this mental gear?

Of course. The priorities are completely different.

But with the setting that it’s nothing, you probably can’t play tennis, right?

He can’t. It would probably be pointless to go to the match at all. I am a very emotional person, so I always care a lot about winning. When I go to a match, I want to win just because of how much work and dedication goes into it.

That desire to win is there, even though I have a child now. I don’t care at all, but at the same time, some things that used to annoy me don’t bother me so much anymore.

For example?

For example, if I mess up a forehand cross. But when the match continues for a few more hours, emotions and nerves start working again.

You want to end your career with this year’s Wimbledon. Still, is there any chance you won’t say goodbye and continue?

No, none at all. I’m not quitting because of covid or pregnancy, but because of myself, I have it set up like that and I don’t want to continue. I go to the scheduled tournaments because they are my favorites and I want to close them, put an end to my career. I want to make it nice.

What’s it like at Wimbledon?

Magical. It gets to me just talking about it. When you get there, a big gate opens and the history blows on you. Every morning, as I walk around the grounds, I observe the workers taking care of the courts. Everyone has their own lawn and takes care of it like their own garden, they decide how much the grass has grown, whether it is too much or too little…

The atmosphere cannot be described until you see it yourself. Wimbledon is the most important tournament in the world for me and I experienced the most important moments there.

What were those moments? How does the doping control work and what does Barbora Strýcová want to do after her career ends? Listen to the full interview.