Siniaková wins Wimbledon Mixed Doubles, sets sights on another title
Kateřina Siniaková and her tennis partner, Dutchman Sem Verbeek, are Wimbledon champions after beating the duo Stefani-Salisbury in two straight sets, both 7-3 in tie-break. The Czech tennis star is back in action today in the semi-finals of Women’s Doubles, a discipline she already won last year alongside Taylor Townsend.
Siniaková and Verbeek were a newly-formed tandem going into the Mixed Doubles competition at Wimbledon. Already in the second round, they dispatched the first-seed couple Danilina-Heliövaara in three sets, before beating all remaining opponents in straight sets – including Luisa Stefani and Joe Salisbury in the final.
For Siniaková, who is the current World n.1 in doubles, this marks her maiden victory in a mixed event on the WTA/ATP tour. Whilst she is no stranger to Grand Slam glory, having won 10 doubles titles in her illustrious career so far, all of them came in Women’s Doubles.
On the weekend, she will be hoping to add another piece of silverware to that collection. Later today, first seeds Siniaková and Townsend will take on fourth seeds Ostapenko and Hsieh for a place in Sunday’s Women’s Doubles final. The tennis star says that the vision of another trophy has already eclipsed the celebrations of Thursday’s triumph:
“It was stressful, hectic. I cannot even enjoy it, because I am trying to regenerate as quickly as possible. I still need to do doping control. Hopefully that goes as quickly as possible, so I can go back to the hotel and get some sleep. Thankfully we don’t play early,” she says in relief.
In case of victory, Siniaková would become only the 5th woman in history to win both doubles titles of a single Grand Slam in the same year. This feat was only achieved by the legendary Billie Jean King, Kitty McKane Godfree, Cara Black, and Martina Hingis.
The historic run comes in an otherwise underwhelming Wimbledon campaign for the Czech delegation. In singles, all Czech players were eliminated before the Quarter Final round. In the previous two iterations of Wimbledon, Markéta Vondroušová and Barbora Krejčíková both won the Women’s main event.
