Barbora Strycova clinched her second women’s doubles title at Wimbledon alongside Hsieh Su-Wei on Sunday. This was a remarkable final appearance at the grass-court Grand Slam for the Czech player.
With both players aged 37, their memorable triumph secured their place in the record books as the oldest combined age duo ever to claim a major title. Their extraordinary journey culminated in a 7-5 6-4 victory over third seeds Elise Mertens and Storm Hunter in the women’s doubles final at Wimbledon.
This victory was not the first time Strycova and Hsieh had tasted success at Wimbledon together. Four years prior, they had already written their names in Wimbledon’s history when they clinched the title for the first time. Hsieh clinched the Wimbledon women’s doubles crown twice more: in 2013 with Peng Shuai and in 2021 with Elise Mertens, one of her opponents this Sunday.
Strycova’s journey to this momentous triumph was accompanied by significant life changes. In September 2021, she welcomed her first child, a baby boy named Vincent, which made this victory even more meaningful. As she confirmed that this would be her last Wimbledon appearance, the win was the perfect farewell gift. “I couldn’t ask for a better finish,” she said.
Having made her return to the WTA Tour at the 2023 Madrid Open after embracing motherhood, Strycova had set her sights on retiring after the US Open. This Wimbledon title took on added significance, as she expressed, “We played here four years ago, and now I have a baby, and it’s even more special for me to come back and win the title again.”
A remarkable result for a player I’ve nicknamed ‘Barbora Streets Ahead’ as a reminder how her surname should be pronounced rather than the BBC commentator’s ridiculous ‘Strick-oh-vuh’
… and for Hsieh Su-Wei, too, the latter being the wearer of this year’s Wimbledon’s best outfit, in my opinion, looking stunning in it!