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After a five-year absence from the WTA Tour, Lucie Safarova is set to make her return at the upcoming Livesport Prague Open. She will compete as a wildcard in singles qualifying and in doubles, teaming up with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Since stepping away from professional tennis in 2019, the 2015 Roland Garros finalist has embraced new roles as the wife of former NHL hockey player Tomas Plekanec and mother to her two children: four-and-a-half-year-old daughter Leontynka and two-year-old son Oliver.
Despite the demands of family life, her passion for tennis has remained unwavering. Now, she is ready to thrill fans once again with her exceptional skills and sportsmanship. Notably, the big return will happen in Prague, where she was given an emotional retirement ceremony five years ago.
The 37-year-old Czech tennis star surprised her fans by returning to the courts last fall, participating in a small ITF doubles tournament in Reims, France. However, due to procedural setbacks, the former doubles world No. 1 had to leave the tournament after winning her first-round match. Last month, she played a singles match at an ITF tournament in Stare Splavy, Czech Republic, where she faced a tough opponent in American Katrina Scott.
She has also recently played a couple of matches in doubles, with her niece Emma Dvorackova, and has developed a deep admiration for all the mothers on tour: “I really have great admiration for all the mothers on the circuit who carry their children, because it is extremely difficult!”
Bomba v kvalifikaci! 💣 Lucie Šafářová si zahraje o hlavní soutěž Livesport Prague Open 2024. 👀 U toho bys neměl chybět! 😱
🎫 Vstupenky najdete na https://t.co/k3YJTowWSD pic.twitter.com/5KIjG4ka6l
— Livesport Prague Open (@livesportprague) July 18, 2024
Now, Safarova is set to compete in multiple tournaments with Bethanie Mattek-Sands, reigniting their successful partnership from 2015 to 2017 when the duo won five Grand Slam titles. “We won’t be focusing on any targets,” Mattek-Sands commented on the reunion that will kick off in Prague, “but whenever we’re together there’s so much energy and it’s so much fun. She’s like a ray of light in my life.” Back in March, Safarova revealed that Team Bucie plans to participate in some tournaments in America in August.
The Livesport Prague Open, a WTA 250 event, will take place from July 21 to July 26 on clay courts. Following the tournament, Safarova will join Eurosport for the first time as part of their international team during the Olympics.
Safarova’s singles career reached its pinnacle in 2015 when she made the final of the French Open, ultimately falling to Serena Williams. That same year, she achieved her career-high singles ranking of world No. 5. She won seven WTA singles titles over the course of her career.
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