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Barbora Strycova recorded her first singles win on the WTA tour since returning from her maternity leave.
Strycova beat Belgium's Maryna Zanevska 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the opening round of the 2023 Italian Open. The 37-year-old returned to the WTA circuit after more than two years away, following the birth of her son in 2021.
After beating Zanevska, Strycova was filmed celebrating with her son Vincent.
Strycova, who has been as high as World No. 16 in the singles ranking, will next face World No. 8 Maria Sakkari in the second round.
The Italian Open was not Strycova's first tournament since returning. She took part in the 2023 Madrid Open after receiving a wildcard entry. However, Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto got the better of the Czech in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(5).
Barbora Strycova has already announced that the 2023 WTA tour will be her last, as she plans to retire after the 2023 US Open.
Barbora Strycova reached the doubles quarterfinal at the 2023 Madrid Open
Barbora Strycova's return to the tennis court included her participation in the doubles categroy of the Madrid Masters. The Czech player paired with Hsieh Su-wei, who herself was returning after giving birth to her son last year, and reached the quarterfinal of the tournament.
The duo racked up impressive wins over Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching in the opening round (1-6, 6-2,10-3) and Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi in the second round (6-3, 6-3). They next faced the Canadian-American pairing of Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend. After being dismantled in the opening set, Strycova and Hseih played some better tennis in the second set. They eventually came up short, losing the match 6-0, 7-6(3).
Strycova and Su-wei will partner up once more at the Italian Open, where they won in 2020. They are set to face Nadiia Kichenok and Kimberley Zimmerman in the opening round of the doubles draw.
The Czech-Taiwanese duo have been a fan-favorite doubles team since they first linked up for a title-run at the 2018 Indian Wells Open. The former doubles World No. 1 pair became full-time partners from 2019 to 2021, winning eight titles together, including at Wimbledon in 2019.
